Muggle Music
by Tiny Q
Summary: This is not a song fic! Voldemort has been causing a lot of problems, so to raise moral, Dumbledore decides to hold a Muggle singing contest!
1. Nice Skirt Weasley

Title: Muggle Music 

Author: Tiny Q

E-Mail: one_legged_lesbian_seagull@hotmail.com

A/N: Well yes. Yet another fic to add to my growing collection. And yes, I will update my others soon. Just have been SO busy! Anyhoo, yes. This is NOT a song fic, but there might be singing in latter chapters. Tastefully done of course. So yes, I don't really know where this came from, but I love music and Harry Potter. So I thought: why not put my two obsessions together?? This is the result. Anyhoo, I don't own anything HP related. I only own Professor Booi (Which is pronounced 'Boy' but to her annoyance, students will pronounce it: 'Boo-ee' Just so you know) So yes yes. And she has nothing to do with my gr. 10 social studies teacher. Only the name is the same.

So yes, now please enjoy my odd: 

****

Muggle Music

Mid-October - Dumbledore's Office

It was a chilly October afternoon, but despite this, Headmaster Alubus Dumbledore still had his office window open. The old man was seated at his desk staring into a bowl of silver fluid, known to HP fanatics as a pensive, a fire crackling cheerfully to his left.

Thought after thought he transferred into that bowl, his sharp blue eyes wandering about the room. 'It doesn't make sense,' he thought. 'Why would he be beating about the bush? Why not just attack something big. Everyone knows he is back.' An uncharacteristically dark insult passed through his mind at Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic, still trying to tell people otherwise. 

He thought for a moment. Perhaps that was it. He knew everyone knew he was back and intended to scare them all into paranoia as to when he would inevitably attack. Not as bold a move as Alubus would have expected form the Dark Lord. But then again, perhaps thirteen years of solitude and half existence had changed Voldemort's tactics.

He sighed.

"Excuse me, Alubus," a voice said from his left. He looked over and saw Arthur Weasley's head floating in his fireplace. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but I have some information for you that can't wait."

"No problem at all, Arthur," Dumbledore reassured him cheerfully, turning fully to face the balding red-head's floating head. "What do you have to tell me?"

"You-Know-Who has attacked a Muggle shopping mall in London. Death Eaters sealed the whole place off and killed almost half the people there," Arthur said, a haunted look becoming evident in his eyes. Dumbledore's heart skipped a beat. 

"How many?" he asked quietly, dreading the answer.

"800 Muggles, seven wizards," the head responded. "I guess they were shopping, but from what I hear from the surviving wizards, they went down fighting. Saved a lot of lives. It would have been a lot worse if not for them."

Dumbledore was silent for a moment. So he finally hit something big. Odd how he was just thinking about it moments before. Shoving such trifle thoughts aside he turned his attention back to the situation a hand. "What do the Muggles think happened?"

"We had to use a lot of memory charms," Arthur sighed, the tiredness in his voice and eyes suddenly becoming more pronounced. Dumbledore realized that the younger man must have been there. But of course he had been, he was Arthur Weasley after all, Muggle-lover and friend to almost everyone in the Ministry. "But the Muggles think it was terrorism. I think they claimed a bomb was used or something like that."

"Good," Dumbledore sighed. "The last thing we need is for the Muggles to know about Voldemort. When is it hitting the media?" he asked.

"In about ten minutes," Arthur sighed. "We tried to get them to hold off for a bit, but they charged us with freedom of the speech and that the public has a right to know. Notice how that is what it is when ever it's convenient to them? But try to tell people that the _Prophet_ employs biased journalists, then it's all hush hush." Dumbledore nodded understandingly. Ever since Arthur had heard about Rita Skeeter and her twisted take on Harry Potter he had never been able to contain his animosity towards the paper. 

"Sorry," he said after a moment. "Not the time is it?" Dumbledore shook his head. "Oh, well, when are you going to tell the students?"

"I suppose it will have to be in a few hours at supper."

"I imagine it's not going to bode over well," Arthur said sympathetically. 

"No, I suspect it won't," Dumbledore agreed.

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know yet Arthur. I don't know."

~*~

****

Halloween - Gryffindor Common Room

"Ron, do you have any asparagus?" Harry Potter asked.

"Nope, go fish," the lanky red-head responded. If possible, he had gotten even taller over the holiday. He now towered over all the fifth years and most of the sixth. Not that Harry hadn't grown himself, just not as much as his best friend. He picked up a acrd from the pile.

"Ginny?" Ron asked his sister, "Do you have any cotton candy?"

"Ron!" the red-headed female exploded. "I swear to Merlin that you are cheating! I don't know how, but I _know_ you are!" Ginny had grown over the summer as well. She was almost a foot taller than Hermione(who used to be much taller), an inch shy of Harry's height. In Harry's eye she had also gotten very pretty, though he wouldn't say it out loud. Ron would kill him.

"Ginny!" Ron gasped in mock shock. "Would _I_ cheat my little sister?" 

"Yes he would!" Fred called from his and George's usual corner. The two of them were working on their new invention which kept singing 'One Week'. It seemed to Harry that ever since they had received his prize money, they had been working extra hard.

Ginny glared. "Now give me those three cards," Ron demanded. Ginny glared for a few moments more then handed over three, cotton candy, Berty Botts Every Flavor Beans Playing Cards, with an indignant puff. "Ha!" Ron said cheerfully, placing them down on the ground before him along with one from his own collection. His pile got yet larger, all from his sister who had none of her own. 

"Colin," Ginny sighed angrily, "Do you have any plums?"

"Sorry Gin, go fish," Colin responded kindly. Harry noticed that the camera he always carried with him resting to his right. Over the past three years Ginny and Colin had become very good friends. Harry still shuttered at the thought of what Ron had said back in their second year: _You better hope those two never meet, they'll probably start a Harry Potter Fan Club_. Harry had yet to see this sort of cult, and prayed he never would.

"Hermione," Colin said and turned to the bushy haired girl sitting beside Harry. "Do you have any kiwis?" 

"No, go fish," she responded after glancing down at the cards in her hands. Hermione looked different this year as well. Height wise she hadn't really changed, but in every other way she had. To Harry it was changes for the better, though he didn't really care what she looked like. She could shave her head bald and get piercing all over the place and he wouldn't care. She was one of his best friends and he would love her no matter what she looked like. The fact that she now had quite a large chest only made more Hermione for him to love. 

"Harry." He realized she was speaking to him and felt his face grow hot. "Do you have any cheese?"

"Yeah," he said resignedly and pulled two cards with cheese flavored beans on them form his own pile and handed them to her. "Thanks," she said, placing them down on the ground before her, adding two of her own.

"Ron-" Harry started but was cut off by Ginny.

"That's it!" she shrieked throwing her cards to the ground and getting to her feet, giving Harry a good view up her skirt. He quickly looked away. "I saw you that time Ron! I saw you looking at my cards! I quit!" And with that she stormed out of the Common Room.

"Go Gin!" George called happily at his retreating sister's back. 

"That's right!" Fred called afterwards. "Show our stupid brother who's boss!" They both burst out laughing.

Colin tossed his own cards to the ground, glaring at Ron. "Well now you've done it," he hissed angrily. "She's going to be vexed all day now and I'm the one who has to put up with her at the feast!" With that, the small fourth year stormed out after the pissed red-head, calling her name.

Hermione folded her arms over her large chest and Harry simply shook his head.

"Shut up," Ron snapped, glaring testily at them.

~*~

"Ginny!" she heard Colin call. The sound of runners on tile told her that he was running to catch up with her. He was quite a bit shorter than she was and once he caught up he had to trot to keep up. "Ginny, where are you going?"

"Away for _him_," she hissed angrily. "I mean, why does he have to do something like that every bloody time?!"

"Cause he's your older brother," Colin wheezed, looking up at her as he tried to keep her pace. Mentally she smiled. Colin never ceased to make her smile. He was just to entertaining, even if he didn't mean to be. "That's what older brothers are supposed to do."

"Do you do it to Dennis?" she demanded, turning to the left and mentally laughing as Colin had to jog to keep up.

"Well . . . no," he said, slightly abashed.

"Well then," Ginny said primly. "Why does Ron always do it to me?"

"Maybe it's because you're the sister," Colin said helpfully. "He can't just beat the crap out of you like I used to Dennis."

"What?!" Ginny demanded shrilly, stopping her fast pace and turning on Colin. "Are you saying that Ron treats me like I'm an idiot because I'm a _chick_?!"

"Well . . ." Colin began. Ginny knew he was just trying to help but a comment like that was just a bit much. Even from him.

"Why is every girl in this bloody school a feminist?" a voice drawled from behind them. Ginny whirled around to see none other than Draco Malfoy walking towards them. Crabbe and Goyle in tow.

"Well if it isn't our school's resident ferret," Ginny sneered, she was far to pissed off to take into account or to care who she was insulting. "And I am _not_ a feminist."

"Oh really?" the blond sneered back. "And here I thought that women were to be seen and not heard."

Ginny let out a gasp of anger. "Why you-" she hissed starting to advance on him. She didn't need her wand, she would rip his annoyingly blond hair out with her bare hands.

"Ginny don't!" Colin gasped, stepping before her and blocking her path. "He's not worth detention, is he?"

'I don't care about detention," Ginny's mind hissed. 'How dare he say that about women?!' Never the less, she stopped her advance.

"Creevy!" Malfoy said with malicious glee. "Didn't see you there! Cowering behind your girlfriend as usual I see." Before Colin, or Ginny, could say anything, Malfoy continued: "Where's your camera?"

Ginny saw Colin's eyes grow wide with realization that he didn't have his camera, which he called his 'Precious'. She knew how much it pained him to not have it with him. Odd, yet everyone had some sort of odd obsession. Colin's was just a little more evident.

"Sorry Gin," he said quietly, turning large, sympathetic eyes on her. With that he scampered off in the direction of the Gryffindor Common Room. Malfoy and his two goons laughed.

"It seems your friend ditched you," he sneered at the now solitary Gryffindor.

"At least I have friends," she sneered back, motioning towards the two behind him. "Are they even considered human? They seem too ape-like to me. I mean, I don't think a human would be stupid enough to follow _you_ around."

"Why you . . ." he began, pulling out his wand. Ginny followed suit.

"Is there a problem dears?" a kindly voice asked from down the hall. Ginny hastily shoved her wand back into her pocket and saw Malfoy do the same. They both turned to see Professor Booi, the new DADA teacher, approaching them.

Katrina Booi was tall and blond, dressed in robes of shimmering blue. She was one of the oddest teachers Ginny had ever encountered at Hogwarts. Her attitude was that of a person who always saw the silver lining. The fact that she was Canadian only added to this. Stereotypical but ironically true. But you couldn't judge her purely on that. Underneath the blond optimist was an extremely clever, cynical woman who could probably hold her own against Voldemort himself.

"Not at all," Malfoy said silkily, grinning at the professor. Ginny repressed the urge to send him a dark look. She liked the professor. "Wea-Ginny and I were just discussing the feast tonight."

"Oh, that's good!" professor Booi said cheerfully. "I am so glad that Gryffindor and Slytherins do get along. I heard such bad rumors about the conflicts your two houses have. I am glad to see that they were just that. Rumors."

"Then you are even more dense than I gave you credit for, Booi," an oily voice sneered. The three of them turned to see Professor Severus Snape approaching them in all his greasy splendor. 

"Why, Snape," Professor Booi said sarcastically, the once cheerful demeanor dropping away. "I'm surprised to see you out of your hole of a dungeon. Out to get some sun I hope? Your pasty skin could use some."

Ginny gapped. She had heard rumors of the conflicts between the two professors but had never actually seen it first hand. It seemed that Snape hated Professor Booi even more than any other DADA teacher so far. She glanced at Malfoy who was smirking. He obviously had seen it before or was just happy to see Snape preparing to take down a woman's ego.

But instead of the fight Malfoy was obviously expecting, Snape turned on the three Slytherins and herself. "Five points from Gryffindor for staring, Weasley!" he sneered. Ginny gasped. Malfoy grinned.

"You can't do that!" Professor Booi said angrily.

"Says who?" Snape snapped.

"Me," she snapped back. "Five points _to_ Gryffindor."

"You can't do that," Snape growled.

"Why not?" she growled back, eyes narrowing.

"You need a _reason_ to award points, _professor_."

"Fine," she snapped then turned to Ginny, her eyes alight with mischief. "I love your skirt Miss Weasley. Five points to Gryffindor." Snape snorted angrily. "Now the four of you hurry off and get ready for that feast you were so animatedly talking about."

With a grin, Ginny nodded to her professor then flipped her hair at Malfoy and headed off to the Gryffindor Tower.

~*~

****

1 Hour Latter - The Great Hall

Draco Malfoy couldn't get over what had happened with the youngest Weasley, even as he prepared himself for the Halloween feast. Never before had she talked back to him. Usually she silently glared at him and left or would call him something nasty and run off. Never before had she stayed back and yelled at him. Not to mention try to hurt him.

The more he thought about her, the more he realized she was a Weasley. She was tall like her brother and had the temper to boot. Before now, the only real connection had been the red hair. The horribly red hair. And those stupid freckles. 

'Stupid Weasley,' he thought to himself, then mentally grinned. At least he had scared her Potter-loving friend. But her attitude still persisted to bother him. Why had he never seen it before? Surely he would have noticed-

A chiming of fork on glass interrupted his thoughts and he looked up towards the Head Table. All of the professors were seated, respectfully looking at McGonagall who had taped her glass. He glanced towards the Gryffindor table and saw Weasley and Creevy sitting together, whispering about something. Draco narrowed his eyes. 'Stupid Weasley,' he thought again. 'I'll get you back.'

Dumbledore stood up and the whispering, which had stayed after the loud voices had stopped, ceased as well. "Good evening," the old man said pleasantly. "I would just like to tell you all about a plan that the professors and I have come up with to make this semester more interesting. Actually, it was more Professor Booi's idea than anyone else, but we all helped in our own ways," The Headmaster was looking at Professor Snape when he said this.

Mentally Draco groaned. 'Why does the senile git have to beat around the bush every time he wants to tell us something?' To Draco's relief, Dumbledore plunged into this "plan" right away.

"We have decided to hold a singing contest this year during the Christmas holiday." An excited murmur suddenly rose up in the hall. Dumbledore waved his hand to quiet them down. Draco stared at the man in disbelief. 'They expect us to _sing_?' he thought then glanced once again at the Gryffindor table. Weasley was looking very excited indeed. Draco shook his head in disgust. 'Who cares if she's excited?!' he demanded to himself. 'Doesn't matter to me.' With that he determinedly looked at Dumbledore.

"Now, now," the Headmaster said cheerfully. "You haven't even heard the best parts yet." The murmur died down once again and almost all of the occupants of the hall looked expectantly at the headmaster. Draco examined his nails.

"Since last year's Yule Ball was so popular, we have decided to hold another one this year. And please do not speak until I have finished, then you can talk all you want." The hall remained silent. "Good. We will have another ball, for all years this time and we will also have more musical talent. Speaking of which, I suppose you all want to know about the contest?

"Well it is for all years as well and everyone who enters earns ten house points for their house. This should encourage you all to participate. You can go in groups of as many as you want or even alone if that is what you wish. The judges will be from outside the school and will choose five contestants to carry onto the final round. The best group will win 500 Galleons each and not have to write end of the year exams."

At this, Draco's ears perked up. He truly wasn't looking forward to writing any exams. Far to much studying on his part. Perhaps this singing thing wouldn't be too bad after all. Earn house points, money and best of all, slack off at the end of the year. He grinned at the idea of him winning and being able to laugh at Potter and all the other fools writing.

"Now that I have the basics out of the way. I'll let professor Booi explain the more important details," Dumbledore said, smiling and taking his seat.

"Thank you Headmaster," Booi said, raising from her seat with complete elegance. "Music brings emphasis to our day to day lives. It can lift us up if we are down or give us energy to do mundane tasks. Personally I feel that Muggle music causes this effect far better than our own music. Why? Because Muggles don't require magic to make sound. They use their own hands and voices to move others.

"For this reason we have decided that all contestants must sing Muggle music." There was an outcry from half the hall. Mainly from the Slytherin table. Draco now looked angrily at the blond professor. 'Muggle music,' he thought with dislike. He had never heard any before, but he was sure it all sounded the same and dull, dull, dull.

"Now I am sure that most of you have never heard Muggle music before since Europe really doesn't seem too aware of the other half of the world." She seemed momentarily vexed at the idea. "So that is why when you return to your Common Rooms you will discover a box with a screen on called a television that will show you music videos. This is because the more enthusiasm you have on stage the better you will do. Each of you will also find a radio in your dorm so you can simply listen to the music rather than watch.

"Now remember the idea of this is to have fun. As well to become more aware of the world around is. The contest will begin Christmas Day but you will receive more information as the day draws nearer. Until then, if you need a place to practice, require instruments or have any other questions, please speak to your head of house or myself. We'll be happy to help." She seemed to send a grin of satisfaction in Snape's direction, then sat down.

"Thank you professor," Dumbledore said, once again on his feet. "Now, let the feast begin." He clapped his hands and the tables flourished with food.

The hall erupted into excited voices as people all over the place talked about what they were going to do. Draco sat quietly, arching his fingers. He knew his father would be angry of he entered since it involved Muggle music. But on the other hand he truly didn't want to write exams.

"So Draco, what are you going to do?" Crabbe asked from across the table, interrupting Draco's thoughts..

Draco looked up then all down the table. The Slytherins seemed to have gotten over their initial shock and were now excitedly talking about the contest. In a way he envied them. They didn't have to worry about their fathers.

"I don't know," he said truthfully and silently ate his food for the rest of the feast, idly listening to the people around him. It seemed that Pansy Parkinson and her gang had already declared themselves a band, while Crabbe and Goyle automatically decided they would do whatever Draco did. 

Draco sighed.

The time went by quickly and soon Draco found himself excusing himself from his friends and heading back to the Common Room. He had to admit that he was curious as to what the rage about the music was, perhaps then he could make his decision. There were a few other students leaving as well, but it wasn't until he heard an arrogant voice, that Draco made up his mind.

"So Malfoy," he heard Ginny hiss from behind him. She was obviously still pissed about the feminist comment. "You going to sing Britney Spears or N*sync at the contest? Or is it bellow you to enter? It being Muggle music and all."

"Weasley, if you are entering I will enter simply to see your crestfallen face when I win," Draco drawled. 'Where the hell did that come form?' he wondered. Too late now honey.

"We'll see about that," Ginny purred then brushed past him, followed by the Creevy brothers and Longbottom.

"If that's who you're singing with, I'll definitely win!" he called after her.

"Whatever," she called over her shoulder, rounded a corner and was out of sight.

'Damn,' he swore mentally. 'She got the last word.'

~*~

A/N: Well, as Ed the Heterosexual Sock says: Smash or Trash?? You decide! And if you would like, you can tell me what kind of music you want our lovely heroes and heroines to sing! So make me smile and tell me what you thought! 


	2. A Slytherin Thang

Title: Muggle Music

Author: Tiny Q

E-Mail: one_legged_lesbian_seagull@hotmail.com

A/N: Hmm, wrote a bit more than I intended too here. Good for you all I suppose . . . Well yes! I am really happy that people thought this thing worthy of smash! Now I can continue with my happy little typing reality. Ok, that sounded sad, didn't it?? ~sigh~ Never mind. A few things before we carry on with this crazed writing. My own personal lack of school nationalism, or as **Lallie** has corrected me multiple times, school spirit, has transferred onto our favorite, read headed Weasley female, Ginny. He He He. Uh, it has also come to my attention that I stupidly spelt 'Albus' wrong all last chapter. And I am simply too lazy to go back and fix it. Which goes to show you how truly pathetic us Q are. Sure, we say we are omnipotent and all that, but underneath it all the Q Continum is simply filled with lazy bums. JK. Honestly. ~Looks around worriedly at the prospect of being jammed into that bloody comet again~

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine but the plot and Professor Booi. All other originally, or not so originally, named characters are mine as well. But as you can tell I am not all to fond of the others. Oh! The idea that the students receive CD players came from **Tara**. Thanks Hun!

****

Muggle Music

Chapter 2

A Slytherin Thang

For the next week, the professors hardly saw the students outside of class. They didn't roam the halls, study in the library or go outside. This is because almost all of them were seated in front of the televisions and radios in their Common Room and dorms. 

At first they thought it was odd but were not too concerned. They became concerned however when they realized the old wives tale was true. Children's eyes could turn square if they watched too much TV.

Just like that episode of 'Shinning Time Station', several students eyes turned square and began to spin about their sockets. Madame Pomfrey was not impressed to say the least. 

It was then that the professors began to think that perhaps they had made a mistake . . .

****

Friday Night - Gryffindor Common Room

As was the norm lately, almost all the students in the house were seated before the television. Music video after music flashed across the screen and the students soaked it up. With the exception, if you will, of the Dream team who were seated before the fire, staring at it moodily.

"I'm so bored!" Harry proclaimed after about ten minutes of silence. Startled, his two friends turned and looked at him.

"Why?" Ron asked curiously.

Harry sighed.

"Usually by now something has happened to tip us off on some adventure," he explained. "Troll in the dungeon. The Chamber of Secrets is open. My godfather is trying to kill me. I'm entered into the Triwizard Tournament.

"But nothing's happened! Nothing! Just a music feast thing! And what is Voldemort going to do this time? Make the music so addictive that we all become mindless zombies who will do what ever it tells us too?!" Harry paused in his rant and looked at his two best friends. "Stop looking at me like that!"

"Harry," Hermione began knowingly. "Perhaps this year You-Know-Who has thought you to be too much trouble."

"Yeah," Ron agreed. "You've proven to him that he has better chances of just walking in here with a Muggle shotgun than some elaborate yet highly entertaining plan to kill you."

"Ron," Hermione said sharply, yet Harry could see her trying to suppress a grin. She turned her attention to him. "Besides, maybe this contest will be an adventure. We just have to give it a chance. We also need to figure out what we are going to sing."

"I still think we should go for that Aqua song," Ron said quickly before Harry could even open his mouth. 

"Ron, we are not signing 'Cartoon Heroes'," Hermione snapped, not for the first time that week. "It would be far too egotistical."

"How?!" Ron demanded. "It sounds really cool and it's all happy and stuff."

"You're such an idiot, Ron," she hissed back.

"I am not!" Ron snapped back loudly, causing a few students in the room to turn and watch the show. "You're the bushy haired-"

"Guys," Harry interrupted quickly before they broke out once again into an all out fight. "How about we go get some food? It's supper time."

"No Harry," Hermione said without her eyes leaving Ron's. "I want to hear what Ron has to say."

"I was going to say-" Ron began.

"Nothing," Harry snapped, cutting him off. He got to his feet and pulled Hermione to hers. He couldn't have moved Ron if her wanted too. Not alone at least. "Let's get some food," he said earnestly, looking pointedly at the both of them. "My first Quidditch match is tomorrow. You don't want it to be your fault that Hufflepuff wins cause I don't have any energy, do you?" He was whining and he knew it. Yet lately it seemed to be the only way to cut through his two friend's conflicts.

"No," Ron said grumpily, getting to his feet as well. Hermione did not say anything but simply followed the two boys out of the Common Room.

The Great Hall was just starting to fill up when Harry, Ron and Hermione arrived. He led the way to their usual spot at the center of the table and sat down. Ron sat beside him while Hermione sat opposite him. Ginny joined them a few minutes latter, sitting beside the older girl.

"Hey guys," she said in a tired voice. To Harry it sounded more tired than it usually did. "Have you figured out what you're going to sing yet?"

Ron and Hermione sent each other dark looks so Harry answered for them: "Not yet, Gin. Ron is still pitted on Aqua. How about you? You guys figured it out yet?"

"No," Ginny said glumly, the tiredness more evident now in her voice and face. "Turns out neither Neville, Colin or Dennis can sing. I'm the only one. So what can they do then?"

"Why don't you have them play the instruments?" Harry offered after a second's thought. "Or at the very least let Neville loose with his wand."

"Not a bad idea," Ginny said with a giggle. "But I don't think we want to deform the judges before they mark us. Might effect our score."

"Just tell him to aim for them and they'll be perfectly safe. It's the audience that will have to watch out." Harry grinned. Ginny laughed lighting up her whole face. Whatever had been bothering her seemed to have slipped from her mind.

She smiled at Harry.

He dumbly grinned back.

'Get a grip boy,' he snapped at himself in his head. Yet he couldn't stop staring. He never realized how pretty Ginny was. He knew that she had gotten prettier, but he hadn't realized just _how_ pretty until now. And she didn't seem to mind him starting either.

"Aw, would you look at that?" a cold, drawling voice sliced through the warm feeling Harry had. Ginny's smile disappeared. "Freak courtship. Ain't that cute?"

"Shove it Malfoy," Ginny snapped at the passing blonde before Harry could even open his mouth. 'That is happening a lot today,' he thought crossly and glared.

"Don't have anything to say, Potter?" Malfoy sneered, stopping just behind Ginny who whipped around and glared up at him.

"What do you think, Malfoy," Harry hissed back. Glaring harder over the top of Ginny's head he was about to give him a piece of his mind.

"Mr. Malfoy," a chipper voice said suddenly and all present turned to see the tall form of Professor Booi walking towards them. "I never realized you and Mr. Potter knew each other." Harry looked up at the woman in disbelief. He took a double take. She seemed to be, yes she was, smirking. "But you can continue this conversation at a latter time. I believe Professor Dumbledore wants to say something."

Harry looked around and realized that the students had filled the hall and were either watching them or chatting. He glanced over to the head table where Dumbledore was looking at them with a large amount of uncharacteristic impatience.

"Of course, Professor," Malfoy bit out as politely as he could. Harry saw right through it. The shorter of the two blondes walked off quickly and took his seat between his two large friends, Crabbe and Goyle.

Harry turned his attention back to the DADA professor who was now smiling. "More points saved by me," she said to herself then quickly headed towards her seat.

"What was that all about?" Ron asked as soon as she was out of ears shot. It was the first thing he had said in a while. All Harry could do was shrug for Dumbledore had tapped his glass and got to his feet. The hall went silent.

"The professors and I are extremely pleased with your enthusiasm towards this contest. Though your sudden and peculiar fascination with the television sets has caused us all some concern. So, for that reason we have decided to give each of you a portable CD player." 

There was an excited tidal wave of whispers as the students realized what this meant. Dumbledore waved his hand for silence then held up an ordinary looking CD player. He continued talking, demonstrating with the device as he went. "To work it, all you will have to do is remove the golden CD, tap it with your wand and say: "Napster". Then all you have to do is tell it which genre of music you wish to listen to or individual songs. Replace the CD and listen to the headphones.

"You can take these devices anywhere, but we ask that you do not listen to them during class." He let the device drop to the table with a "thunk". "And so now, please, for Merlin's sake! GO OUTSIDE! I hear that the Common Rooms smell like-"

"That is all the Headmaster has to say," McGonagall said quickly, rising to her feet and forcing the old man to sit down. He continued to mutter madly.

"I've never seen Dumbledore like that," Harry said worriedly, staring wide-eyed at him.

"Don't worry Harry," Ginny said soothingly, patting his hand. "Music does that to the best of them."

~*~

****

Latter That Night - Gryffindor Common Room

"How can you guys tell what's on?" Lee Jordan asked, staring with bemused curiosity at his two best friends, the Weasley twins.

The Common Room had been deserted except for the three of them. All the sane people had gone to sleep ages ago. Fred was taking full advantage of this by power-surfing the music videos while George stood back, yelling when his brother should stop. 

Lee shook his head.

"It's an art," Fred said above the constant "click, click, click" of the remote.

"It's insane," Lee hissed back in his usual sarcastic way. "Shouldn't you two be sleeping? Or did you forget you have our first Quidditch match of the year tomorrow?" Neither twin seemed phased. "Or is it your plan to be so tired that you hit a bludger at Harry rather than Edward?"

"Never happen," George said, his eyes never leaving the TV screen. "We can never sleep before a game, you know that, Lee. Besides, if anyone should be sleeping it should be you. Wouldn't want you to call Harry, Edward in front of the whole school, would you?"

"Or McGonagall, Snape," Fred added, still flicking away. "Or-"

"I get the point," Lee snapped with a laugh. "But what is it that you are trying to-"

"STOP!" George suddenly bellowed. Fred stopped flicking.

"Find," Lee finished weakly.

"Found," George corrected.

"The punk/rock station?" Fred asked doubtfully. 

"Yup," George said cheerfully. "Now watch."

Lee and Fred both obediently watched the screen. After a moment they were both grinning. Fred more so, but that was simply because he had a larger mouth. 

"It's perfect," Fred breathed, watching the video in sheer awe.

"Told you so," George said with a knowing grin.

"But how are we going to stay on the ceiling?" Lee asked, his excitement momentarily forgotten as reality kicked in.

"I've got it covered, don't you worry," George reassured him.

"You thinking what I think you're thinking?" Fred asked his brother. George nodded.

"Wicked."

~*~

****

Saturday Morning - Gryffindor Fourth Year Girl's Dorm

Ginny sat on her bed reading a book. Her radio was belting out 'Sk8er Boi' by Avril Lavigne. She paused in her reading and listened to the song. Liking the it, she pulled a rumpled piece of paper from her pocket and grabbing a quill from her bedside table, added the song title to the list. She had ten so far. 

Ginny had long ago given up listening to the rock station for songs to sing. Though she liked them all greatly, she didn't have the voice to sing any of them. It seemed she lacked the testosterone. Instead she had resorted to the lighter side of rock. There were such few girl grunge bands out there.

'I'm never going to be able to narrow these down,' she thought, giving the list one more look over then slammed the list back into her pocket. She listened to the song a bit more then went back to reading her book.

And this was how Ginny intended to spend her Saturday. Well, the first half of it at least. She always did this when there was a Quidditch game on. Sure, she loved Quidditch as much as the next witch, perhaps more, yet she just couldn't bother to go out. To be among people who are cheering on their houses and making complete fools of themselves was not how she perceived a fun event. Call it a lack of school spirit , but she could care less if Gryffindor won the cup, house or otherwise.

After a few minutes of reading, Ginny heard footsteps running up the stairs. A moment latter they stopped and someone banged on the door.

"Ginny!" the someone called. "It's me! I'm coming in!" The door flew open to reveal Colin Creevey panting before her.

"Morning Colin," she said glancing up from her book. "You know, most people simply walk up those stairs."

"Come on, Gin," he said, ignoring her sarcastic comment. He walked up to her and took her book away, jamming in the bookmark that lay before her. 

"Hey-" she started.

"Get ready!" he said, throwing the book down on the bed. He walked over to her trunk, kicked it open and grabbed her cloak and scarf. "We've got to go."

"Go where?" she asked exasperatedly, though she knew what he was talking about.

"Don't play dense," he said, dropping her cloak and scarf on her lap. "The game. You need your mitts?" She sighed, rising to her feet, dropping her cloak and scarf on her bed. He got her mittens from her trunk as well and tossed them on the pile.

"Colin," she started calmly. "I don't want to go. I never want to go. Why should this game be any different from all the others?"

"Because we need to figure out what song we are going to use," he responded. "You can laugh at the crowds and I can take some pictures." He lifted up the camera slung around his neck as he said this. "And Harry was also asking me if you were going to show up."

"What?" Ginny spluttered, turning towards Colin sharply. "You're joking!"

"Nope, he asked me this morning," Colin said earnestly. "He was going to ask you yourself, but you weren't there. So come on. Let's go."

Colin's words rung in Ginny's ears. Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, wanted to know if Ginny Weasley was going to be at the Quidditch game? Was this for real? Had all her years of waiting and dreaming finally paid off?

"Come on, Gin," Colin urged, waving his hand in front of her face. "Stop looking starry eyed and let's go. Dennis and Neville are waiting downstairs." He smiled at her.

"Fine," she said, smiling back. "Get out of here so I can change. I'll be down in a minute."

"But you look fine the way you are," Colin insisted.

She glanced down at her faded jeans and black baby-t. 'I want to look better than "fine",' she thought and shoved Colin out the door.

Ginny quickly changed into a short gray skirt and a button down white shirt with a blue tank-top underneath. A touch of make-up and flip of the hair and she looked in satisfaction in the mirror.

"How do I look?" she asked it. 

"Fabulous," it responded. "Now go get your dream boy."

Ginny smiled at the mirror then quickly put on her cloak, wrapped her crimson and gold scarf around her neck, shoved her matching mitts into her pocket and hurried out the door. She bounded down the stairs two at a time and came to a halt in the Common Room before Colin, Dennis and Neville. 

"How do I look?" she asked them, striking a pose. 

"Fantastic!" they coursed.

It took but minutes to get to the Quidditch pitch and soon Ginny found herself sitting between Colin and Neville. Hermione and Ron were sitting in front of them, obviously having forgotten their argument from the night before for they were chatting companionably. She jacked Ron's Ominoculars and began to look about the crowd with them. It was a chilly morning and as she looked through them she saw all the students bundled up in scarves and cloaks, huddling together for warmth.

"Anything interesting?" Colin asked as she looked about.

"Well, there's that couple making out by the Slytherin house flag," she said slowly, shifting her eyes away from the couple. "Or the first years who seem so confused as to what Quidditch is. Ew!" she gasped suddenly.

"What?" Colin asked excitedly, holding his camera ready.

"There's some Ravenclaw down there picking his nose," she spat with disgust.

"Ew," Colin agreed, lowering his camera. Obviously this was not a desired target. "What else is there?"

She pulled the glasses back up to her eyes and continued to scan the gathering crowd. "Oh, there's-"

"Weasley," a voice said sarcastically from behind her. "What a not so pleasant surprise!"

Ginny whipped around to see who it was. Though in the excitement of the moment forgot to lower the Ominoculars from her eyes. All she saw was a giant nose.

"My god!" she shrieked and stumbled back, off her seat to the ground. Everyone turned to look at her while Malfoy and his two friends laughed with mirth. There was a chorus of concerned "Ginny, are you alright"s from her friends and brother, yet she waved them off, glaring up at Malfoy.

"I'd say "blonde moment", Malfoy said between laughs. "But her hair is red!"

Growling, Ginny rose to her feet with as much dignity as she could muster. Which was a fair bit, I can tell you. She saw Ron roll his eyes at Hermione and sent him a dark look, then turned her attention to the now chuckling Slytherin who seated himself behind her.

"Shut up," she hissed. "What the hell are you doing here anyway?"

"Temper, Weasley," Malfoy drawled. "You wouldn't want to come off as being like your brother. It's unbecoming."

"Hey!" Ron snapped, rising to his feet. "Watch it, Malfoy."

"Ron," Hermione warned, pulling the boy's arm so he returned to his seat. "Your sister can handle the git." She sent Malfoy a withering glare.

"It's not Ginny I'm worried about," Ron growled, settling to simply glare rather than kill. Well at least not in the real world.

Malfoy smirked at the both of them. 

"Why, aren't you sitting with the rest of your horrible house?" Ginny demanded.

"No room," he responded simply, turning his attention back to her. "Now sit your idiotic self down so I can watch the game." 

"Gin," Neville started, tugging on her sleeve. She stood for a moment longer then obediently sat down. She twisted about in her seat to glare at the Slytherin and promptly gave him the finger. With her nose in the air she turned around to see Ron giving her a thumbs up. Hermione frowned at the both of them.

"Seriously now you two," she said sternly then turned back to the game. Ron shrugged at her and turned around as well. Ginny smiled, pulling Ron's Ominoculars to her eyes once again.

"If only I had gotten a picture of that," Colin whispered into her ear. She giggled but never got the chance to reply.

"And it's a lovely morning for a Quidditch match, Ladies and Gentlemen," Lee Jordan's voice rang out through the crisp air. His voice seemed to be faster and slightly more slurred than usual, spiking at odd times.

Ginny turned her glasses to look at him and was torn between laughter and surprise. Lee's eyes were wide and with a wild edge to them. In his hands was a steaming cup, of what could only be, coffee. There was an empty thermos laying beside him. 'He's wired,' she thought.

"It's the first match of the season," he said, a bit faster than before. McGonagall was looking at him warily then at the cup in his hand. She moved to take it away. "No, Professor," his voice rang across the pitch. "I need that. And here come the teams!"

The crowd erupted into cheers, and Ginny swung her glasses towards the ground to see Harry, her brothers and the rest of the Gryffindor team strutting towards the center.

Tim Jefferson, the new keeper and Team Captain, was leading the team. When Oliver Wood graduated two years back, it was assumed that Harry would become captain. Then it became known that Tim was a keeper for England's Junior World Quidditch team. The dark haired beauty was in his seventh year, along with the twins, so Harry would become Captain next year. He was still a bit too young to captain the team anyway.

The Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors met in the center of the pitch and faced off. Madame Hooch blew her whistle once and they mounted their brooms. With a second blast the fourteen players launched off into the air. The crowd erupted into cheers louder than before.

"And they're off!" Lee practically shrieked. The next part came out in a large rush: "Gryffindor has possession of the Quaffle. That's the lovely Katie Bell shooting towards the Hufflepuff end."

"Go Katie!" Neville shouted. Ginny glanced at him and grinned. Neville had been taken by the blonde chasser for the past year but didn't have the courage to act on it. All he could do was cheer.

"She tosses to Angelina!" Lee's voice boomed. "Who then tosses to Alicia! Alicia scores! Ten points to Gryffindor!"

The Gryffindor side of the stands erupted into deafening cheers. They had scored the first goal of the season. Despite Ginny's lack of enthusiasm towards the house game, she couldn't help but grin. Everyone looked so happy and excited and-

"Boo!" Malfoy called from behind her, interrupting Ginny's thoughts. She could hear the other Slytherins in the stands booing as well. The Hufflepuff student-body remained silent, though they were watching their players intently, as though that alone could will them to score. 

"Hufflepuff has possession!" Lee called, drawing her attention back to the game. The crowd gasped as Fred hit a bludger towards the chasser and just missed. "A close call! Fred Weasley nearly got Stuart Winter there! Damn. I mean- no, no, Professor! Yes, I remember our conv- And Stuart scores! Ten points to Hufflepuff!"

The Hufflepuffs erupted into cheers rivaling the opposing team. Ginny looked around and saw sour looks on Gryffindor crowd. She was about to go back to watching the game when she heard it.

Malfoy was cheering on Hufflepuff.

Ginny whipped around and looked at him in disbelief. Many others seated around her did the same.

"What?" he snapped at them.

"Aren't you cheering for the wrong team?" Ginny asked speculatively.

"You expect me to cheer for you gits?" he sneered at her. "I'd rather dance nude with a werewolf."

"Don't Slytherins only cheer Slytherins?" she sneered back, ignoring the mental image. That goes for all you folks as well.

She was proven wrong as Hufflepuff's Stuart Winter scored once more and the Slytherin and his two friends erupted into cheers again. Shaking her head, Ginny turned back around and determinedly watched the game. 

Colin was snapping away picture after picture with his camera. She sent him a smile which he began to return but got distracted. 

"Look!" he said excitedly. "I think Harry sees the Snitch!" Moments latter Lee said the exact same thing.

The Gyffindors erupted into encouraging cheers, chanting for Harry to get the golden device. Ginny could hear Malfoy booing and hissing over her shoulder.

"Go Harry!" she screamed as loudly as she could, and ignored the surprised looks she got from the people around her. 'Why remain quiet as usual when you can spite a Malfoy?' ran through her head and she grinned.

"And it seems like Edward, the Hufflepuff seeker has seen the Snitch as well!" Lee said excitedly. "Both of them are plummeting head to head! But it seems Edward's Nimbus is no contest compared to Harry's Firebolt! He's pulling ahead! He's gaining on the Snitch! He's- Professor! Give me back my coffee!"

Ginny watched through the Ominoculars and smiled largely as Harry's gloved hand closed around the Golden Snitch. 

"Harry's got the Snitch!" Lee roared. "Gryffindor wins the first game of the year! And by the looks of the team we're going to be partying all night! I'll bring the coffee!"

Professor McGonagall promptly shut off the enchanted microphone. 

To Ginny's surprise, she stood up with the rest of her house and cheered. She could feel Malfoy's eyes glaring daggers into her back yet she ignored him. Harry had won the game.

"Come on!" Colin said cheerfully. "Lets go congratulate them!"

Smiling, Ginny jammed the Ominoculars into a cloak pocket and followed him along with her brother, Hermione, Neville and Dennis down the stairs to the pitch.

~*~

Draco watched darkly as Ginny walked down to the pitch with the rest of her house. He narrowed his eyes as they began to congratulate the team.

'Stupid Weasleys,' he hissed in his mind. 'Think they're so great.'

Shaking his head he lead his two friends back to their Common Room. The rest of their house wasn't too far behind.

"Draco," Crabbe started, interrupting his brooding silence. "Have you decided what we are going to sing yet?"

"No," he answered simply, and he hadn't. He had yet to turn on the radio or use the CD player in his dorm room. Yet from what he had heard and seen on the television he was he did not like Muggle music.

"I like that Britney Spears girl," Crabbe offered. "The girls are always listening to her."

"Well _we_ can't use her music," Goyle hissed. "People will think we're gay or something." He pitched his voice: "Hit me baby one more time!"

Draco rolled his eyes. 'If I have to hear that damned song one more time I think I'm gonna freak,' he thought bitterly. Sure the girl was easy on the eyes but the ho's music was terrible. So were all the other imitation girls and guys that seemed to constantly be on the screen. 'I don't see what's so great about their music,' he added to himself. 'It all sounds the same. Why would Professor Booi want us to sing that crap anyways?'

"What do you think, Draco?" Goyle asked him, causing him to snap back to reality.

"Huh?" he asked, realizing that the two of them had been talking all the way back to the Slytherin Common Room.

"I said," Goyle said patiently. "That we should change that bloody pop station to something better."

"Whatever," Draco said dismissively. Inside he was confused. There was more than one channel? There were other songs than the ones they had been constantly exposed to for the past week?

As they entered the deserted Common Room, Crabbe dove for the remote control. "Got it!" he said cheerfully and began to flick channels.

"Jazz, Rap, Grunge, Blues," Goyle read from the bottom right corner. "Keep going. How 'bout some rock?"

Crabbe continued to press the button then when he got to the channel labeled: 'Rock'.

Then Draco heard it.

"Wow," he said in awe. Now the entire contest made sense.

~*~

A/N: So yes, as to whether it was funny or not was lost to me. Perhaps it was the fact that I had to read it several times to edit it. Oh well. What is to happen next you ask?? Well . . . lets see . . . A plot! Oh yes! A plot! Maybe some interesting happenings between Harry and Ginny . . . or Ginny and Malfoy . . . or Ginny and- uh, never mind. JK! I really appreciate all the songs you guys all put in. I am glad that you're thinking along the same lines I am 'cause then I won't have to change things around too too much. In fact . . . well you'll just have to wait!

Much thanks to: **Tara**(I don't know if me e-mail got to you, cause my computer is poop right now. That's right, poop.)**, Azalai**(I love it too! Linkin Park rocks!)**, laylana fairyweather, Milkyweed**(Yeah! Canada rocks! And yes, that Tiny Q and this Tiny Q are one of the same. I don't think there are any other Tiny Qs out there. At least, I hope there aren't any other Tiny Qs out there. How 'bout I stop while I'm ahead, eh?)**, Toasty**(I really hope that wasn't a threat . . . ~backs away slowly in fear for her life~ JK!)**, VirtualFaerie**(Everyone is insane in their own right. Some people just don't know how to use it to their fullest potential. I pity those people. JK! And yes, perhaps the Nine-Days folks are a bit too nice, but Avirl sound good to me!)**, Jenn**(A hint eh?)**, Lee Velviet**(Eye popping sounds good to me too. I take it when you said a parody you were looking for something a bit more juicy than Goyle though? He He He)**, txt-eva**(~blushes~ Thanks)**, Milkyweed** uh, again.(Thankies!)**, BleedingQueen**(Yeah he does in a way!)**, Love Angel, Lallie**(Oh god girl! Can't you leave me alone?!? I already had to take the phone off the hook! Now you know where I live?!?!?!? Ahh! JK!)**, Sangel**(Blink eh? Hmm . . .)**, Angel Black**(Oooh! Oldies! ~grin~)**, kiwi Saotome**(I agree with the No Doubt! They rock!)**, txt_eva** again?(This is supposed to have a low rating . . . it would be a hoot though)and **sade**(Happy now?)

Wow. I wrote a lot. Again. Perhaps it's 'cause I'm happy so many people reviewed! I feel special. When I feel special I guess I must write a lot. That sounds corny so I am going to go before I dig my hole of cornyness even deeper. Ahh! 


	3. Ron Weasley and the Bogey Flavored Bean

Title: Muggle Music

Author: Tiny Q

E-Mail: one_legged_lesbian_seagull@hotmail.com

A/N: Hi! I was a little scared that this chapter would never happen. I had the first little section done and like a paragraph then I lost inspiration and left it for like a month. Ooops. I'm still not very happy with it. Oh well, here it is and it's staying. Nothing else to really say. ~shrug~ So please, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I only claim the plot and Booi and Ed and well I think that's about it . . .

****

Muggle Music

Chapter 3

Ron Weasley and the Bogey Flavored Bean

Professor Severus Snape stormed down the halls towards his residence. As was usual lately, the halls were devoid of students. Not that he felt any loss towards this fact. He liked the halls when they were empty.

He shuddered slightly at the thought of what the students were doing. Sure, Snape liked Muggle music to a certain point, had a small collection of CDs himself. A collection I might add, that was growing. Yet he sure as hell did not want to hear the music butchered by hundreds of pubescent, squeaky voices. He shuddered more violently at that thought.

The Dark Mark on his forearm throbbed uncomfortably. He looked down at it with loathing. 'You can bloody well wait,' he hissed at it in his mind, knowing full well that the Dark Lord could not hear him. He did however pick up his pace.

He had just been to a meeting with Dumbledore and a few other professors. They had been discussing even more Muggle attacks, an airport this time, and their possible actions to stop the Dark Lord. Snape knew Voldemort would be very pleased with this information.

He rounded the corner and saw the door to his room. He stopped. It was slightly ajar. Someone was in there. Pulling out his wand, Snape approached silently, his robes billowing behind him, silent as well.

He had been expecting a Death Eater, perhaps a student. He hadn't been expecting the tall form of Katrina Booi standing by his bookshelf and glancing boredly over at him.

"Interesting place you've got here, Severus," she said smoothly as though it was perfectly normal to be standing in someone else's residence uninvited. Snape's anger rose a degree at her using his first name. He hated when people he disliked used his first name, "I never thought you the type," she added gesturing towards his extensive collection of Muggle philosophy and mythology.

"Why are you here?" he demanded, lowering his wand. He did not put it away.

Booi turned from his bookshelf and faced him. Her eyes flicked up and down him quickly with a look of distaste. He pulled himself up to his full height. Her lip twitched.

"To see if I could discern the nature of the beast," she replied. She glanced around the room, seeming to note every piece of furniture and speck of dust. "Unfortunately, I believe I am at a loss." She flashed him a slight grin. He did not return the gesture. "Actually, I have come to ask you for a favor," she added, face going serious. Her eyes finally settled on his and stayed there. 

"What is it?" he asked darkly, narrowing his black eyes.

She reached over to his desk a few feet from her and picked up a worn, dark blue book. It wasn't one of his so he assumed she had brought it with her. She flipped through about half the pages then came to a stop and offered him the open version. After a moment of staring at her, he took it.

"How does one go about making that?" she asked, staying where she was and watching him intently.

He looked down at the old and worn pages of the book to see an exceedingly complicated potion. He read it over and took a moment to calculate how to do it in his head, more out of habit than anything else. He had always done that for as long as he could remember: see the potion process in his head.

He finally looked up at her, a sneer playing across his face. She was now looking at him critically.

"It would only take me a few weeks," he said slowly. Her blue eyes narrowed. "For you though, I believe the process would be beyond your simple mind."

"Only a few weeks?" she asked, her voice and expression going hard. She did not comment on his last sentence. 

"Yes, but you will need to come in every now and then to add your," he paused, "Parts."

"Fine," she said with a nod. "When can you start?"

"Tomorrow," he replied, feeling his forearm burn. "But why do you require this particular potion?"

"That does not concern you," she said with a sense of finality. "All that matters to you is that you make the potion. And soon."

With that she turned away from his and strode towards the door. He followed her with his eyes. Before going through the door she stopped and turned to face him once more.

"And Severus," she added silkily. "I wouldn't underestimate me if I were you." A twirl of her robes and she was out the door.

'Yes,' he thought silently. 'I am beginning to realize that."

~*~

****

After the Game - Quidditch Pitch

The whole of the Gryffindor house waited for the team to emerge from the change rooms. To Ginny everyone seemed to be acting as though they had already won the house cup. She thought it daft. They had beat Hufflepuff. Big deal. 

"Ginny!" Harry said cheerfully, walking towards her as the large and noisy group headed back to the Common Room. Colin sent her a thumbs up as he walked away with his brother and Neville. She waited for Harry to catch up. "I thought I heard you cheering for me. Glad you came."

Ginny felt a blush creep up on her face. Not only because Harry was talking to her but also out of guilt. She had been cheering for him to spite Malfoy.

"First game of the year," she said weakly. "Wouldn't miss it." She offered him a smile. He returned the gesture. 

They walked the rest of the way back in silence. It was a comfortable silence. Not one of those wring-your-hands-and-whistle-in-your-head silences. Ginny noticed the raven haired boy walking closer beside her than ever he had before.

"It seems like everyone is pretty riled up," Harry said finally, interrupting the silence. They were now approaching the Fat Lady and Ginny could hear a terrible racket from inside.

"I don't see why. It's just a game," Ginny said darkly, staring at the portrait. "No offense," she added hastily as she realized what she had just said and to whom. "But it's just-"

"I understand," he interrupted her, laughing. She looked over at him and felt her heart skip a beat. He looked so cute with tousled hair and cheeks reddened by the wind. She smiled wider. They paused and listened to the noise which seemed to get yet louder. "Let's not go back yet," Harry said suddenly, turning to face her. 

"Ok," she said with a slight frown. "Where should we go then?"

"Dunno," he said with a shrug. "Ever seen the lake?"

"Hmm . . . I'm not sure," Ginny said slowly as though she were trying to think if she ever had.

"You'll love it," Harry said with a grin and grabbed her hand and led her back outside.

Laughing, Ginny allowed herself to be pulled along. Inside she was quite surprised by Harry's daring. Just last year he had had the hardest time asking Cho to the ball. She always thought him to be quite shy. And now he was pulling her off to be alone with him. It was a dream come true.

The chilliness was still in the air, but then they had only been inside for about five minutes. The sun had disappeared behind the clouds and it was pleasantly gloomy. The perfect fall day.

"I love days like this," Ginny said cheerfully, walking along side Harry who was still holding her hand. The lake came into view. 

"Really?" Harry asked, a hint of surprise in his voice. "I don't. I like sunny days better."

"Oh," Ginny said, slightly abashed. "Why?"

"They seem to make people happy," he said offhandedly. "Why do you like gloomy days?"

'Because they make people not all happy and cheery,' she thought sadistically, but did not voice it. "I don't know," she said instead, looking out to the center of the lake. The giant squid seemed to be swimming laps and had an audience of seagulls flying above. "Just do."

"Oh," Harry replied.

They returned to walking in silence. This time it wasn't as comfortable. At least not to Ginny. She had this urge to speak or to simply listen. Anything. Just not silence. 

"You like this place, don't' you?" she finally asked him. 

"The lake?" Harry asked her, looking at her as though she had just asked if he had a second head of his shoulder.

"Yeah," she nodded, feeling slightly stupid. "I mean, you, Ron and Hermione are always walking around here."

"Oh," he said again, understanding passing across his cute features. "No, not really. I guess it's more out of habit than affection," he explained.

Ginny felt her heart drop slightly. The lake was one of her favorite places. Especially the little cove with all the hanging trees just out of sight of the castle. Harry only liked it out of habit. He had taken her to a place out of habit rather than anything else. 'Stop it!' she said angrily to herself. 'You're out here with _Harry Potter_! You're crush of _five_ years! Why are you being so analytical?' She never had a chance to answer herself for she was distracted by Harry pointing across the lake, back at the castle.

"Do you see that?" he asked her, frowning at something behind her. She turned to look and saw someone in a black cloak with the hood drawn up walking towards the forest. She frowned. 

"Yeah, who is it?" she asked.

"Wish I knew," he responded, looking with squinted eyes at the figure. "If there was only a way . . ."

Ginny's hand fell away from Harry's. He had released it, taking a few steps closer to the edge of the lake in an attempt to see. At her side, Ginny felt something in her pocket and pulled it out.

Ron's Ominoculars.

"Would these help?" she asked, holding the glittering device up.

"What?" he asked distractedly then turned to see what she was offering. "Perfect!" She held them out to him. "Thanks, Gin." He turned to look back at the figure who was almost at the forest and held the glasses to his eyes. After a moment he handed them back to her, a look of excitement in his yes.

"I've got to go," he said, moving to leave. "I'm sorry," he added, almost like an afterthought. With that he jogged back the way they had come, to the castle.

"Don't worry about it," she responded to his retreating back. "No problem at all. A new case to solve have you? Well run along. I'll just wait here shall I?" She knew that she was over reacting and that she was talking to herself, but she was feeling oddly angry. She didn't know why exactly but she was. Perhaps it was fourteen years of being fretted over by her brothers because she was a girl finally catching up with her. "Yes, I'll just wait here."

And with that she stalked off in a dark mood, heading towards her favorite cove.

~*~

****

Slytherin Fifth Year Boy's Dorm

Unbeknownst to both Ginny and Harry, but Draco Malfoy had just seen the entire proceeding from his bedroom window. Not because he wanted to or was spying but simply because he looked out the window and there they were.

'So I was right about the courtship," he thought darkly, watching Ginny move away. 'Only a fool would walk away though.' He stopped at that. 'Where the _hell_ did that come from?'

Pushing violently away from the window he walked over to his Muggle radio and turned it up. He had only turned it on a bit before to the rock station but couldn't help but make it louder. The music deserved to be played loud. At current the lead singer of P.O.D. was screaming: "BOOM!"

Grinning to himself he turned to see what he had been waiting for: his eagle owl tapping on the window. He opened it and let the beautiful creature fly in. She had been a gift from his mother for receiving his Hogwarts letter. Her name was Ed. Looking back at it, he had been an odd child.

"Hey," he said as she landed on his left shoulder and nipped at his ear. With his left hand he held up a tray of sweets while with his other removed the letter from her leg. It was from his father as usual. His father always sent letters on Saturday. Draco suspected his father had no life.

Ed flew from his shoulder to his bedside table where she poked about his books. Ed always had been an odd bird, much like his mother. He supposed that was the reason they got along.

He looked down at the letter that looked the same as all the others he received. High grade envelope, which inside would hold the same type of parchment, his name neatly written in black-silver ink and the Malfoy crest stamped in silver on the back. 

Idly wondering what this week's letter would be about, he opened it.

_Draco,_

It has recently come to my attention of the type of predicament the Muggle-loving fools have created for you. This contest, if it can even be called that, is a disgrace to the wizarding world. I will be greatly disappointed in you if you participate in this act of idiocy. I look forward to hearing that you, along with your house, will not be involved.

Your mother sends her regards.

Lucius

'Lucius,' Draco thought bitterly, looking down on the letter in distaste. Draco had never been able to call him anything but father or Lucius while all the kids around him called their fathers things like: Dad, Daddy or even Papa. He had tried dad once and to this day has not forgotten the look of sheer disgust he had received.

The parchment in his hands crumpled. The message was no different from the usual Saturday greetings. But something about the way his father was so sure about the contest infuriated him. 

"Who is _he_ to tell me what to do?" he asked Ed angrily, throwing the parchment into the roaring fire behind him. "I bet he had never even _heard_ this stuff before." Which was quite ironic for Draco had only begun listening to it himself about twenty minutes earlier.

The song that was currently playing was quite angry, in a pleasant sort of way. He looked at the screen on the radio which showed that the song was called 'Break Stuff' by Limp Bizkit. Perhaps it was the lead singer ranting about packing a chainsaw (Whatever that was) or the part about being treated like shit or the fact that it was rebellious. Hell, it could have simply been the fact that it was playing loud and sounded angry, matching his mood. What ever the reason Draco began to get an idea. 

Grabbing a piece of parchment and a quill he sat down and began to write:

_Father, _(He fought of the urge to write 'Dad')

_I would so hate to disappoint you, since you obviously have enough anger to dispense as it is. It seems my house is already in the midst of participating: I am among them if this should mean anything to you. Now I must cut this short. I have to decide on which song I, along with my house mates, will be belting out. I will of course have you in mind when I make my selection. _

Send Mum my love.

Draco.

With a satisfied grin he read it over. 'Just right,' she thought. 'All the politeness he requires and enough anger to tell him off. If only I could see his face when he reads it.'

He jammed the letter into and envelope, sealed it and addressed it with shaking hands. He passed it onto Ed and shooed her off before he could think twice about what he was doing. Never before had he rebelled against his father is such an obvious way. He didn't even know what brought it on. He had just been so angry.

'Well it's not like he can do anything to me,' he reassured himself, grabbing his cloak, deciding he needed some air. 'For one, I'm at school, two, I'm his only child and three, well, I'm his son. We're supposed to rebel. And besides, he never does anything more than yell. A lot. Ok, more like rant for hours, but that's beside the point.'

Now he was sure he needed air, so he left.

~*~

****

Gryffindor Common Room

The Party seemed to have died down. In fact, it appeared that there had been no party at all. It had started out strong with food brought up from the kitchens by the twins and the promised coffee from Lee Jordan. Everyone was ready to have a blast, that is until some idiot, I mean, uh, student, turned on the television. The horde of rambunctious students set their eyes on the TV, simultaneously walked towards it and as one body sat down.

All students that is, except for Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger who for some odd reason seemed impervious to the television's charms.

"I just don't get it," Hermione said quietly, sitting in her usual spot by the fire. Her eyes were fixed on the student body that was Gryffindor.

"It's damned creepy," Ron agreed, eyeing them as well.

"I mean, what do they see in it?" she went on. "Even the Muggle-borns are there. And they all grew up with TVs."

"They must see something we don't see," he replied, eyes going slightly wider as he continued to stare. Perhaps it was to see if he could take in more light and see the rays of control emitted by the TV. Could have just been boredom as well. "What ever it is, it's not natural," he concluded, finally turning away from the students to look at his friend. After a moment she did the same.

"I think they're getting worse," she whispered as though scared "they" would hear, her eyes wide with disbelief. Ron did the only thing he could. He laughed.

"Isn't this all backwards?" he asked her. She frowned. "Aren't I supposed to be all cynical and suspicious while you sit there and tell me that there is no way a television could control a group of students? Cause it's true. It's not magic or anything."

"But Muggles have their own form of magic. There are hidden messages in everything. Propaganda to control the masses," she said in the same tone, eyes going wider.

Warning bells began to go off in Ron's head. Something was wrong. Hermione was acting strange. Rising to his feet, he walked over to her and slapped her across the face.

"OW!" she cried, raising a hand to her face. "Ron! What in Merlin's name did you do that for?!"

"You were tripping out," Ron said going red. "And it seemed like a good idea at the time."

"A good idea at the time?" she demanded, glaring up at him. He smiled to himself. She was back to her Hermioneish self, not the conspiracy girl of a few minutes ago.

He decided not to respond to her question. If he started another argument he would have no one to talk to since both Harry and Ginny were off doing who knows what. Instead he walked over to a chair in the corner and jacked a box of Every Flavor Beans from his brothers' secret stash.

"Berty Botts?" he asked her, returning to his seat.

She glared at him for a moment then to the offered food. "Why not," she said with a sigh.

"I though you didn't like them," he pointed out after opening the box and the thought struck him. He sat down on the ground. 

"They're better than nothing," she responded, indicating to the other students who were polishing off the food from the kitchens. She joined him on the ground.

And so they sat, trying different beans, even the unusual colored ones, laughing at the other's reactions to the taste. Hermione's face pinching up as she ate a lemon flavored one. Ron's relief with chocolate. Hers to a strawberry milkshake. Until-

"Ugh, bogey flavored," Ron gasped, spitting the offending bean out onto this hand. They both looked at it wide-eyed.

"I didn't know they made those," Hermione said slowly. "Here, eat a blue one, it should get rid of the taste." She offered him a blue bean which he accepted. (It turned out to be blueberry)

"You pick one," he told her after tossing the half masticated bean into the fire. 

"I don't know," she said slowly, warily looking down at the selection spread across the floor before them.

"Come on, what harm could come from this yellow one?" Ron asked, nudging it towards her.

"Could be piss," she responded, staring at it.

"Could be cheese."

"Could be- oh, I don't know. Something else yellow and fowl," she said in exasperation.

"Chicken," Ron hissed. She looked at him appalled.

"I am not," she snapped.

"Then eat it."

"Fine." And she did.

"Well?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. Her face remained impassive.

"Banana," she finally responded with a grin.

"You know, I just had a disturbing thought," Ron said with an odd, twisted smile.

"Hopefully not from my eating a banana flavored bean, cause if that's what it is, I don't want to hear it," she said as only Hermione could.

"No nothing like that. But come to think about it . . . "At Hermione's look he stopped. "No. It's just that, I wonder how many people, after eating a bogey flavored bean, ate their own bogies to see if they tasted right?"

"That is pretty disturbing," she agreed, then furrowed her brow in a way that struck Ron as down right cute. "But considering that each body has a different formula for making mucus and each person breaths different air so that the dirt content is different-"

"Are you trying to say that people have different flavored boogers?" Ron demanded, not quite believing what he was hearing.

"I guess so," she agreed. "Here, you wanna try?" Hermione made to pick her nose and offered him invisible boogers.

"Oh that's disgusting!" he howled and they both burst out laughing.

"What's disgusting?" Harry asked, walking towards them from the portrait hole. Ron was about to respond when Hermione gasped.

"Harry! What's wrong? It looks like you ran here!" 

"That's cause I did," he panted, plopping down into a chair beside them.

"Why?" Ron demanded , looking up at his friend in concern.

Harry took a breath and began to explain to them what he had seen. In the end Ron's head was reeling.

"But Harry, Snape's on our side," Hermione said reasonably. "He's proven it more than once."

"He could have been going into the forest for any reason," Ron agreed.

"I know," Harry conceded. "I just have this feeling in the back of my head that something's not right . . ."

~*~

By the time Ginny got to her cove, she was pretty much calmed down. She still couldn't figure out why she had gotten so mad in the first place. It really rather scared her.

She was seated on a large rock under a tree and staring out at the lake. The wind was starting to pick up and there were small waves being formed. To her, these were inspiring surroundings and brought about some of her best thinking.

Ginny had a sinking suspicion though that she wouldn't get too much thinking done today. Someone had just walked into her little cove. A someone with silver-blonde hair and a frown.

~*~

A/N: Well yes, wonderful eh? Not! Hmm, the next few chapters should have more D/G action. There has been a definite lack so far and I am quite appalled at myself. Bad Tiny Q. Anyhoo, the bogey conversation really happened between me and a friend of mine while eating Every Flavor Beans. Still makes me giggle just thinking about it. Music suggestions for _any_ character or group would be appreciated. Otherwise your just going to get my odd mix of music. Unless you would like that?!?!? He He He.

Thanks muchly to: **Lallie**(Yes dear, whatever you say dear. JK! You know I love you!)**, Milkyweed**(~blushes~ Thank you)**, Pink-Crane, Ayinsee**times 2(Yes, Canada rules! I was under the impression that England was quite open, at least with their gov't. ~shrug~ And I have nothing against feminists. I am one myself. ~grin~ Uh, sounds like you have some pent up anger. I'll be going now . . . JK)**, bellus-qui, Azalai**(There have to be more us out there, I mean how many CDs have they sold?!)**, BleedingQueen**(Noo! Don't condemn me to dig deeper! Everyone already thinks I'm crazy! Crazy they call me! Crazy! Damn cornyness . . .)**, elen, VirtualFaerie**(I totally agree. They're just the perfect match)**, Laylana Fairyweather**(Mosh-pit sounds good! I'll look into that . . .)**, Jessie Weasley **and **txt-eva**!


	4. The Great Time Jump

Title: Muggle Music

Author: Tiny Q

E-Mail: one_legged_lesbian_seagull@hotmail.com

A/N: Hi! Sorry it took me sooooo long to come out with this chapter. But once again I lost inspiration and stuff. ~sigh~ Life is so hard. Anyhoo, I haven't read the previous chapters in a while so I'm not sure if this chapter is a little off compared to the others. To me it sounds a lot like my 'Truth About Trees'. But then perhaps that simply sound likes this or- oh dear. I've gone cross-eyed. JK! Well yes, I had to skip a bit of time, you'll see what I mean. I really want to move into the contest. I mean, that's what this whole fic is about, right?! Oh and I also tried to put in a bit more D/G in here. Hope it's enough. Though with you people I doubt it will be . . . Just jokes! No seriously! Oh! Just read the story!

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine! Well except the plot and Prof. Booi. Mr. McGuggit belongs to my friends. 

****

Muggle Music

Chapter 4

The Great Time Jump

Ginny Weasley began to frown as Draco Malfoy walked towards her. He didn't make any effort to talk to her, just walked towards her and sat down on a rock a short distance away. He looked out at the lake.

"Go away, Weasley," he sneered, not looking at her.

Ginny couldn't believe her ears. What right did this Slytherin have to come into her favorite cove and tell her to leave? She sure as hell was not removing her butt from that rock. 

"I was here first," she snapped, glaring at him. "You leave."

"I just sat down," he drawled, still not looking at her.

Ginny narrowed her eyes. "What are you playing at, Malfoy? I thought people of fair skin, such as yourself, avoid the outdoors at all costs. Or did you simply decide to grace it with your presence? Cause if you did, you'd better leave before it takes actions to send you back."

"Just because you're mad at Potter doesn't mean you have to take it out on me," Malfoy snapped back, still looking out at the lake. The giant squid was now rolling in the water. It's audience of seagulls ever bigger. Ignoring the squid's performance, the red head felt her anger rise once again. Doubling with the new annoyance that was Malfoy. 

"And just because you're jealous of Harry, doesn't mean you have to take it out on _me_," she raged.

This made him turn towards her. His eyes were narrowed dangerously and his whole body was tense. He was also very pale, as though he had just escaped death. 'Was he that pale when he came?' Ginny wondered despite herself.

"I am not _jealous_ of Potter," he spat.

"Yes you are," she accused. She was not about to back down now. Even if he didn't seem quite right. "Harry's a hero and everyone loves him and you're jealous. You could never be half the person harry is and you know it. So instead of trying to fool yourself into thinking you could be better than him, you try to bring him down to your level. At least that way you can feel better about yourself. Brining down the Boy Who Lived." Then she sneered: "I bet your father would be so proud."

That did it. Malfoy leapt to his feet and stormed towards her. Ginny held her seat. "Don't you dare bring my father into this, Weasley," he hissed coldly. "Don't talk about things you don't understand."

"Or what?" she demanded, eyes narrowed as well. She slowly shifted her hand so she would have better access to her wand. "You'll hex me where I sit?"

He glared down at her, a foot away, but he never said anything. As the silence grew Ginny realized that he wouldn't dare lay a hand on her. Or hex for that matter. How she knew this she didn't know. She just did.

"As I expected," she finally hissed, rising to her feet. His eyes followed hers. She gave a little shrug, loosening the knots that had developed in her shoulders. "You get your wish," she said with mock pleasantness. "I'll leave. I wouldn't want to do anything stupid, now would I?"

She brushed past him roughly as she walked past. He remained silent as she walked out of sight. It wasn't until she had entered the Entrance Hall that a thought struck her. How did Malfoy know she was mad at Harry?

~*~

For the next month and a half that castle's walls were rocked with music. The music itself ranged from fantastic to terrible. Sadly for the castle it was mainly the latter. Good thing castles can't hear. Or at least- Never mind.

Students practiced their songs every chance they got. Mostly using empty classrooms or their own dorm rooms from time to time. Instruments were provided to those who asked. Silencing and muffling charms were also provided to those who requested, or as frequently happened, went raging to the right people.

All the students were very secretive about their performances. It became taboo to ask about them. Tensions between the houses grew and the professors were often breaking up frequent scuffles or cat-fights. Even the different years didn't seem to be getting along, much to the teaching staff's distress.

To add to their troubles, Voldemort had been silent for the past month. No attacks on Muggles or acts of terrorism. Nothing. It was as thought the Dark Lord and his clan had dropped off the face of the earth.

It was for this reason that many of the professors requested that the contest be called off. What was the point of having a contest to raise moral if there was nothing to bring it down in the first place? And the students were taking it far too seriously. 

But Dumbledore stayed by his decision. It seemed that the Muggle singing contest would go through no matter what.

~*~

****

December 24th - Hogsmead

Hermione was walking along side Ron, Harry and Ginny. It was a Hogsmead weekend and the four of them were wandering about the place buying last minute things for Christmas and the Yule Ball.

Ginny had insisted they spend a full hour looking at all the different dress robe shops. It seemed to Hermione that the girl had an affinity for lovely things. She knew though that she had no chance of buying any on them. Well at least not at this stage of life.

Hermione always felt terrible for Ron and his family when it came to money. But where the Weasleys did not have the money they had the love. And the strong wills. Stubbornness if you will.

Ron was now leading them to the Quidditch store. Probably in the hopes of hinting not so subtly at the Cuddley Cannons scarf he wanted. The scarf Harry and Hermione had already put their money together to buy. And the gloves. And the hat. That would keep him quiet for a while. Hopefully.

Glancing down at her watch, Hermione let out a little gasp. It was almost time. Nudging Harry in the arm she gestured towards her watch. He nodded and in turn nudged Ron. Ron looked confused for a moment then caught on. He turned to Ginny.

"Ginny," he started. "Go to the Three Broomsticks for a Butterbeer or something." He shoved some money into her hands. She looked down at it in confusion.

"What do you mean?" she asked, glancing between the coins and her brother.

"We need to go somewhere and you can't come," he said plainly. Understanding seemed to hit her.

"Fine," she snapped, glaring at the three of them. "Bye." With that she stormed off. Hermione felt a pang of guilt at the sight of the younger girl's retreating form. But then, they couldn't very well take her along.

"What's eating her?" Ron demanded of them. 

"Ron, you're such a git," Hermione sighed.

Sirius Black had sent them an owl with directions to meet him at the same place they had last year. He didn't say why but Harry was very excited to see him again. This was understandable since he had not seen him in person since the end of last year.

"So Harry," Ron started, obviously forgetting the recent sibling spat. "I hear you have a date for the ball tomorrow."

"Where'd you hear that?" he asked in response.

"Neville," all three of them said in unison after a few moments. The boy was such a gossip.

"Well, is it true?" Ron persisted.

"Yeah," Harry conceded, turning slightly red.

"Well, who is it then?" Hermione demanded, getting impatient at his lack of response.

"Ginny," he replied, turning even redder.

"You're going with my sister?!" Ron gasped. "Who said you-"

"Oh Ron, stop it!" Hermione snapped. "You pretty much tried to give her to him last year. Why should this year be any different?"

Ron huffed and crossed his arms over his chest. He didn't say any more on the subject however.

"So, who are you two going with?" Harry asked after a moment's silence. 

Hermione felt herself blush terribly and saw Ron turn beat red.

"You're going together?" Harry asked, pointing at them, his mouth agape. Hermione felt herself turn even redder.

"Look! It's Snuffles!" she said with relief, pointing to the end of the road. Sure enough there stood a large shaggy black dog. Harry's attention diverted from the blushing couple, relieving them of an explanation.

Hermione herself still couldn't believe Ron had asked her. Her threat from last year must have stood out in his mind for he asked her shortly after the bogey flavored bean incident. She was surprised his skin had returned to it's natural tone.

Harry broke into a run at his godfather who promptly bowled him over and began to lick his face. Then seeming to realize what he was doing the dog got off and simply wagged his tail.

After Ron and Hermione gave him a good pat the dog led them into the forest to a secluded grove. It was only then that Sirius Black returned to his human form. He was better dressed and groomed than the last time Hermione had seen him. He seemed healthier, well fed, yet he was still lean. She couldn't believe her eyes, Sirius was dead sexy.

"Sirius!" Harry said happily, giving his godfather a proper hug which the tall man returned. 

"It's so good to see you all," he said happily, giving Ron and Hermione hugs as well. "You've all changed so much." 'Whoa girl,' Hermione snapped at herself. 'What _is_ it with you falling for older men?' "Happy Christmas!"

"Happy Christmas to you too," the three of them replied in unison then burst out laughing. Sirius joined them.

"You're not staying in that cave again, are you?" Ron asked with some concern.

"No," Sirius said with a laugh. "Remus and I are staying in a hotel on the edge of town."

"So where's prof- Remus?" Harry asked, looking around.

"Well," Sirius began, obviously trying to hide a smirk. "It's that time of the month if you know what I mean . . ." 

"You're staying in Hogsmead," Hermione asked, ignoring the older man's comment. 

"A lot of people are," Sirius nodded.

"Why?" Harry asked curiously.

"To see the contest of course," he replied. "And you three had better win. I don't want to have put up with Remus' snoring for a week for nothing."

~*~

'Stupid gits,' Ginny thought angrily as she stormed her way to the Three Broomsticks. 'Think I'm so stupid. Don't think I know about Harry's bloody godfather. Well fine. Just leave me. See if I care.'

She heaved her way into the bar and asked for a Butterbeer a little more curtly than she intended. After paying with her brother's money she took the mug and began to look for a seat. 

It wasn't that difficult as the place was relatively empty. Most of the students were either doing some last minute shopping or practicing for the concert in a few days. Ginny also suspected that a large number of them were seated before the televisions.

She sat herself moodily into a chair in the corner and proceeded to glare darkly into her frothy Butterbeer.

'Stupid dolts,' she thought with more venom than before. 'I should have _followed_ them.'

"Ditched again, Weasley?' a cold, drawling voice asked as someone plopped onto the seat opposite her. Ginny looked at Malfoy in mild surprise. They hadn't spoken since she had told him off in the cove. They had only glared at each other while passing in the halls.

"That seat's been taken," she hissed, glaring at him.

"By who?" he demanded. "Your imaginary friend?"

"Yes. You're sitting right on Joe Bob's head," she sneered. "Besides, if anyone's been ditched it's you. Where's your gang of goons?"

"Getting their dress robes," Malfoy explained. "They both doubled in size and need new sets. It's not a pleasant sight."

"So you came to me instead?" she asked scornfully.

"At least this sight's pleasant."

Ginny stopped. Did Malfoy just compliment her? It wasn't possible.

"What do you want Malfoy?" she asked, narrowing her eyes. She was having a bad enough day as it was.

"What do you mean what do I want?" he asked innocently.

"You haven't spoken to me in over a month," she hissed. "Why would you suddenly start now?"

"Why shouldn't I?" he asked.

"Because you're a Malfoy."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Everything," she concluded. "Just like me being a Weasley means everything to you." With that she got to her feet and made to leave.

"Weasley!" he called. She turned to look at him, half wondering if he would apologize to her. "You didn't finish your Butterbeer."

"You finish it," she hissed and strode out.

As the cool air struck her lungs she let out a large sigh. Perhaps Hogsmead wasn't as good for her as she thought it would be. She seemed to be getting more problems than she wanted.

And so Ginny went back to the castle and to her Common Room. After avoiding the television and it's cult of followers she went to her dorm and proceeded to work on her homework for the holidays. She was halfway finished her Potions essay when Colin made an appearance and dragged her off to supper.

"I think Booi is going to tell us more about the contest," he said excitedly. Colin had the most faith out of all of them in their group's ability. Him and his brother played some pretty wicked guitar and Neville could actually keep a beat on the drums.

"Great," Ginny responded less than enthusiastically as they made their way down to the Great Hall.

"What's wrong Gin?" he asked her in concern. 

"Nothing really," she sighed. 'Just getting ditched by my brother and my date. Oh and a lovely little encounter with Hogwarts' resident ferret.' Instead she said: "Just tired."

Colin nodded. "Well just think: tomorrow's Christmas and you can sleep in." Ginny sent him a smile of gratitude. He always seemed to know what to say.

The Great Hall filled up quickly. It seemed that the cold weather made people rather hungry. They were all looking half-starved and crazy. But then it could just have been the light. Or the fact that they had been sitting in front of televisions all day.

There was the sound of fork hitting glass and all the half-starved students turned to see Professor Booi rise gracefully to her feet. She smiled broadly at them all, showing off a set of white, straight teeth.

"Good. You're all here," she said cheerfully. "As you all know, tomorrow will be Christmas. The night of the Yule Ball. Which will mark the beginning of our contest that I know you have all been practicing hard for." Many of the professors began to grumble at this. Booi ignored them.

"The contest will start on Boxing Day and go on for two days. This will leave the top five entrants two days to perfect their second song. The final day of the contest will be held on New Year's Eve. Now I suppose you all want to know who your judges will be?" There was a mumble of agreement from the student body and Booi smiled wider. "There will be five judges. Three of whom are members of the Weird Sisters, Celestina Warbeck, whom I assume you all know, and out final judge, Mr. McGuggit, who is sponsoring most of the contest itself."

There was a large uproar at this. Not only were four of the largest names in the Wizarding Music Community going to be judging the contest, but Mr. McGuggit himself would be there. Mr. McGuggit was probably one of the most successful wizards in all of Europe. The twenty-three year old had started his restaurant when he was twelve and was now the head of a multinational corporation that brought in over a billion Galleons a week.

The meal went by quickly with everyone talking excitedly about the contest. Even when they got back to their Common Rooms no one paid any attention to the TVs or the radios. There was simply too much excitement in the room. It was Christmas after all.

A/N: This is where I would have ended it if I hadn't made you all wait so terribly long for the next chapter. I'm a terrible person. So sue me.

~*~

****

Noon - Gryffindor Girl's Fourth Year Dorm Room

Ginny awoke Christmas morning to discover that no one had bothered to wake her. Not her family. Not her friend. Not even the annoying girls in her dorm. They had all just gotten up, opened their presents and proceeded to get ready for the ball, which according to Ginny's watch, would begin in four hours.

"Stupid gits," she grumbled and proceeded to open the pile of presents at the foot of her bed. Everything was wonderful but it was her last present that she loved the most.

It was from the twins. She had neglected to open it in the beginning in case it somehow incapacitated her and she was unable to open the rest of them. It didn't do anything of the sort but simply shimmered in her hands making her wonder where they had gotten the money.

They were new dress robes. And unlike the robes her mum had sent her that hung off her like a tent, these clung to her in all the right places. The ivory material was woven in with gold bringing out the flecks of gold in her own eyes.

She leapt to her feet and ran to the Common Room. The twins were nowhere to be found. So she tore up the stairs to their dorm room to discover them still asleep.

"Thank you!" she squealed, giving the closest one a bear hug. It happened to be Fred. She then flung herself at George. "Thank you SO much!" 

"What are you talking about?" Fred grumbled.

"The robes!" she squealed. "I love them!"

"Huh?" George asked. "What time is it?"

"Twelve-thirty," she responded, jumping from foot to foot between their beds.

"And you didn't wake us up?" Fred demanded. 

"I thought you didn't wake me up," Ginny confessed, stopping her jumping.

"Ron," all three of them said at once.

"And we got him new robes as well," George said darkly.

"Well, we'll just have to make sure he finds a Canary Cream in his punch tonight," Fred grinned.

Ginny left shortly after to get ready for the ball. She concluded that the twins had gotten the extra money through Weasley Wizarding Weezes. Not that she would tell her mum. She knew better than that. The issue of Ron still bothered her though.

'How could that asshole do that?' she thought angrily, pulling up her nylons with a jerk.

It had snowed heavily two weeks before the holidays had begun causing much distress among the female residents of the castle. The cold and drafty weather made it imperative that one wear nylons or stockings under their skirts and dresses. It was enough to drive Ginny crazy.

'How could he not wake us up?!' There was a loud ripping noise and she looked down in rage to see a large, gapping hole at her thigh.

Letting out a shriek of rage and frustration she tore them off and tossed them onto the ever growing pile that required mending. "Ten wears my ass," she growled, getting a fresh pair from her trunk. Her last ones. Taking in a claming breath she began to pull them on.

It took two hours of fighting with hair and make-up and the other girls in her dorm for mirror space but Ginny finally descended the stairs to the Common Room. The robes seemed to be doing their job. Everyone in the room stopped and watched her.

"Perhaps we should have gotten you different robes," Fred said as he and George approached. 

"Yeah," George agreed. "We don't want all these wankers looking at you like that."

"Well you can't take them back," she said defensively, but couldn't hold back a smile.

"We'll see about that," Fred said mischievously. "You look beautiful Ginny."

"Yes, yes you do," her other brother agreed. They both kissed her on the cheek and wished her well before going off to find their dates.

Ginny began to look about for her own. She wasn't sure why she had said yes to Harry. He was a great guy and all but it seemed that all her years of swooning were falsely based. They had nothing in common. But then, who else would she go with? She had already arranged for Colin and Neville to both have their own dates. And she didn't much care for anyone else. Yet still she felt bad for accepting. A blonde someone kept forcing his way into her mind. 'Eww. No,' she thought.

Her eyes finally fell on Harry. He was dressed in plain looking green robes that were trimmed with gold and was talking animatedly with Ron and Hermione. The two of them going out had not surprised Ginny. She knew it had only been a matter of time.

Hermione had gone through a similar transformation as she had the year before. Yet due to her growth spurt over the summer she was now wearing low-cut robes of crimson red. Ron's robes were navy blue and she frowned at the memory of that morning.

Taking a deep breath and ignoring the butterflies in her stomach, Ginny approached the three fifth years.

"Oh, Ginny," Hermione gasped as she saw her. "You look so pretty!"

"You do," Harry agreed, starting to blush.

"Thanks," Ginny smiled then turned to Ron who was frowning at her.

"How could they buy you those?" he demanded, going red for different reasons than Harry.

"Ron," Hermione said sharply, looking at him pointedly. She pulled him off and began talking angrily to him. He returned a few moments later.

"You look beautiful, Gin," he said resignedly, slouching slightly but smiled down at her. "You know I do. It's just-"

"I know," Ginny interrupted sweetly, holding up her hand. "The big brother duty." She smiled, deciding to forgive him the rudeness and the incident of the morning. At least for now. "You don't look too bad yourself."

"Shall we get going then?" Harry asked the three of them, offering Ginny his arm, which she accepted.

They made their way down to the Entrance Hall which was now decorated in beautiful lights and Christmas ornaments. Everyone in the hall was beautiful as well, dressed in robes of all colors.

Beside her Harry was talking merrily to Ron and Hermione leaving Ginny completely out. She began to feel that she was a mere object, not a date. All the other couples around her were talking cheerfully with each other. No other girl seemed to be in her predicament. She felt a pang of jealousy. Even Malfoy and his blonde date, Pansy, seemed to be talking to each other. 

The doors to the Great Hall opened and Ginny let out a gasp of surprise, momentarily forgetting her disappointment. It was beautiful. The entire room had been enchanted to look like the outdoors. Snow covered everything and was silently falling from the sky-like ceiling. Yet it wasn't cold.

Harry led her, Ron and Hermione to a table where they sat down to eat. Yet all hopes that he might pay attention to her, as he pushed in her chair were squashed as he continued right on with the conversation. This left Ginny to look around at her surrounding. Though lovely they might be, they didn't seem so lovely anymore. Even the food didn't taste right to her. 

As the dining concluded and the dancing began Ginny felt more angry than disappointed. Everyone was dancing. Even the Professors. Even Neville. And here she was, sitting there while her date talked to his two friends. She glared at them angrily.

Harry turned to her and for a moment she thought he would ask her to dance. "Gin," he started with an odd look. "I'm really sorry but we have to go."

"What?" Ginny asked in disbelief. Was he ditching her again? "Why?"

"I can't tell you," he said apologetically. Ginny's anger rose. 'Another conspiracy,' she thought angrily. 'Don't bother bringing me. I'll just get in the way.' "I'll be back soon," he assured her. 

"Whatever," she hissed, turning her back to him and crossing her arms. The three of them left. Miserably Ginny had the urge to get drunk.

~*~

The past month and a half had not exactly been a cakewalk for Draco. When his father had received his owl he owled the other Slytherins' parents who promptly owled their children similar letters. Needless to say most of the students had the same reactions Draco had had so now all the parents were angry with their children.

This new development seemed to add to the Slytherin House's ambition to win. Not only could they spite the rest of the school, they could spite their over bearing parents as well. Draco himself sat there for days, listening to all sorts of music, trying to find the perfect song. 

And he found it. He had been worried that Crabbe and Goyle would screw things over but it turned out that they two of them are quite musically inclined. Perhaps it was fate's way of balancing out their utter lack of magical abilities.

Yet out of all of this it was Draco's conversation with Ginny that affected him the most. What did she know? He had friends. And he _definitely_ was not jealous of Potter. Ok, so maybe his friends were a little slow and didn't often do things on their own. So they were stupid friends. But they were still his friends.

With this in mind he tried to ignore the girl. He refused to speak to her and instead took up glaring whenever they crossed paths. That's why it still boggled his mind that he would go and sit with her at the Three Broomsticks. She had just looked so pathetic and before he knew what was happening his feet were moving him towards the table and making him sit down.

"Draco!" Pansy said cheerfully, grabbing his arm. "Are you ready?"

He looked down at his mutual date. I say mutual because for the both of them there is no one else _to_ date. Except maybe in the higher years but they all had dates already. She was dressed in bright purple robes than were even frillier than their predecessors.

"But of course," he said, trying to sound as enthusiastic as he could. Which wasn't very I can tell you.

He didn't want to be there. Pansy was an airhead and this point was once again proven by her going on and on about her song for the contest. She wouldn't be quiet all through dinner nor did she shut up when it came time to dance.

He found he couldn't tell her to shut up though. He wanted to. Immensely. But he simply couldn't bring himself to do it. So he sat there through it all, nodding and agreeing when he thought he had to. Yet even though he was trying to pay attention to Pansy he found his attention being drawn elsewhere. To _her_. Ginny.

Potter and his friends he left her sitting at the table after dinner. She danced briefly with Longbottom and the oldest Creevey, who both miraculously had dates. 'Probably her doing,' he though darkly, spinning Pansy as they danced. The song ended.

"Oh, there's Blaise," Pansy said happily, pointing behind him. Draco turned to see the auburn haired fifth year. "I'll see you latter Draco," she chirped and skipped off to her friend leaving Draco standing by himself.

A new song started to play and he moved off the dance floor intending to get something to drink. He didn't see anyone he knew around and briefly wondered where Crabbe and Goyle had gone off to. He knew they had no dates.

The he turned slightly and caught sight of her. The light was catching on the gold woven into her robes and hair. Though she was slouched in her seat and looked utterly miserable, she still had this aura about her. 

'Beautiful,' Draco thought, standing absolutely still at the sight of her. 'Wait! I didn't just- Not about a- No!' But before he could protest more he found his feet were carrying him towards her once more. He tried to stop himself, but couldn't. It was as though they were out of his control until he stood before her. Even then he couldn't leave.

She looked up at him startled when she realized he was there. Draco could see her eyes brimming with tears and felt his stomach jerk. She quickly blinked them away when she realized who he was. She sat up straighter and opened her mouth to speak. He beat her to it. 

"Don't be a wallflower, Weasley," he drawled, not exactly realizing what he was saying or why. "Dance with me."

~*~

A/N: So yes. Sorry about all that. But there it is none the less. It was a touch long wasn't it?? Oh well, it was for a good cause. ~grin~ Any last minute song requests would be appreciated. 

Up next: Does Ginny accept?! Where did Harry and co go off to? What was Pansy telling Draco about her song? What are Snape and Professor Booi doing?! You'll just have to wait till next time when we begin the Muggle singing contest and the shit really hits the fan!

Thank You to: **sexy-sassy-sweety, kmf**(Are you suggesting that they have professionals bogey eaters who are hired to eat their own boogers?! Or other's?! Cause if you are that is just EWWW!)**, Milkyweed**(Sorry about that soon thing.)**, GoldenRed Phoenixia**(Oh yes. I am Canadian. A Canadian who could not spell to save her own life. That's my computer's job, though it sucks at it. Sorry.)**, Azalai**(Well all my friends like them too. And my sister. Perhaps there is a secret cult we just don't know about . . . But uh, Green haired and Purple eyed . . . I don't know . . .)**, Lallie**(Yes, I suppose I do already know. And yes, Knudsen . . . son . . . sun . . . whatever! She'd be proud. JK! I thought you would like the coffee thing. Latterz!)**, bellus-qui, Kittylioness**(Thanks. Actually your review encouraged me to keep writing this. Thankies again!)** and VirtualFaerie**(Oooh. I do so like that song. There are so many songs Draco could sing that I think I am going to go mad trying to choose which one! AHH!)

Thanks! Now review again and make a poor Q smile. Please?


	5. It's Singing Time!

Title: Muggle Music

Author: Tiny Q

E-Mail: one_legged_lesbian_seagull@hotmail.com

A/N: Bah! Stupid internet! I intended to post this on Thursday but my cable modem thingy decided to roll over and die while I was at school! I bite my thumb at it. ~grr~ But it's all good now! I got a new one! Yeah! And it's finally here! The contest! Well the first little part of it anyway. I recommend that you try to listen to the songs while they sing. It makes it all funner. Ok. I know that's not a word. Bah. If you don't have the songs then get them off your 'illegal' WinMX or wherever. ~shrug~ Well yes, have fun!

Disclaimer: Harry Potter, Mr. McGuggit, his money, the music or anything else that seems too good to be true . . . Well it's not mine! Why? Well I don't kno-ahh! ~Tiny Q gets launched into the gorge~

****

Muggle Music

Chapter 5

It's Singing Time!

Ginny stared up at Malfoy. Had she heard him wrong? She must have because she thought she heard him ask her to dance. Like a Malfoy would ever ask a Weasley to dance.

"What?" she asked, just to be sure.

"Dance with me," he repeated.

"Huh?" she asked before she could stop herself. 'This can't be happening,' she thought desperately. 'This must be some sort of sick joke. It has to be.' "Why?" she added for good measure.

"Because I asked you too," he said patiently, staring down at her.

As she looked up into his eyes she could see no sign of malevolent intent. 'So he's a good actor,' she mentally argued with herself. But as he offered her his hand she surprised herself by taking it.

"Well, since you asked so nicely," she said as he helped her to her feet.

As they moved towards the dance floor a new, livelier song began to play. Even though all the members of the Weird Sisters were not present, the three that were were putting on a hell of a show. A pleasant mix of Muggle and wizarding music.

'He's probably a terrible dancer,' she thought as they moved to an area of the floor that wasn't crowded. But once they started all the cynical thoughts were wiped from her head. 

He was fantastic. Probably one of the better dancers that she had ever danced with. And there had been plenty with all the family gathering and weddings she had been to over the years. Three songs they spent spinning about, crossing the entire floor several times. People stared. Ginny didn't care. She couldn't stop smiling. It felt so _right_. 

They didn't speak at all, just communicated via looks. But Ginny didn't mind. It gave her a chance to look at his face. Really look at it. The elegant curves and his piercing blue-gray eyes that seemed more blue than she had ever seen them. The way his mouth curved up at the right and how the other side kept twitching upwards. 

The more she stared the more she liked it. The more she stared the less she paid attention to what her feet were doing. He spun her out with a grin and she felt herself giggle at the sight. As she spun back in her shoe caught on the hem of her robe and she felt herself begin to fall. 

"Watch it," Malfoy said sharply, catching her in his arms. Clinging to him, she began to laugh.

"Oh dear," she said against his lean chest and began to laugh harder. She wasn't exactly sure why but the giddiness just seemed to come over her. She couldn't stop.

After a moment she realized her head rest was shaking as well as her. Looking up she saw Malfoy looking down at her, laughing as well. 

"What's so funny?" she demanded through laughs.

"You," he said, pulling her into a standing position and holding her close. As though on cue a slow song began to play softly around them. 

With a mental gasp Ginny stopped laughing. All the other couples around her were now standing close to one another as well and she mentally frowned. 'Why does this feel so right?' she wondered.

"So what made you change your mind?" she whispered into Malfoy's ear, resting her head against his shoulder as they swayed gently back and forth.

"Hmm?" he asked, putting his head down near her hair.

"Why this sudden interest?" she elaborated, feeling herself turning slightly red. Here she was in this guy's arms and three songs after the fact she begins to blush.

"Whoever said there was an interest?" he sneered softly, making her shiver slightly. She tried to pull away but he held her fast. "Only jokes Weasley," he whispered and she could feel him smile.

"So then what is it?" she asked again.

"Well," he began, but she felt his posture change slightly. "I don't think now is the best time to get into this."

"Why not?" Ginny asked, a mixture of disappointment and confusion rising in her chest. What was wrong with now? 

"Cause I think your date's back," he explained. "And he doesn't look too happy."

~*~

"Harry, _why_ are we going to the owlery?" Ron asked as the three of them made their way up to the tower.

"I think Sirius and Remus are up to something," Harry said. He thought he went over it already.

"But why are we going in the middle of the ball?" Hermione asked, panting slightly as she lifted up her skirts to go up the stairs. 

Harry felt a pang of guilt. He had dragged them away from their date. He also just left Ginny, one of the prettiest and nicest girls he knew, sitting at a table. But then people's lives could be at stake. She would understand.

"You can go back if you want," he said honestly. "I don't mind."

"Well, we're halfway there already," Hermione sighed. "Let's just make it quick then."

And so they picked up their pace, getting to the owlery door in record time. They all had to heave their robes up high to prevent them dragging in the droppings.

"I think there's something more going on," Harry explained as he began to write Sirius a letter. "Than just this contest."

"Why?" Ron asked. "I think Hermione was right. The whole thing is probably just to distract us from You-Know-Who's attacks. What else could be going on?"

"Haven't you noticed how there haven't _been_ any other attacks lately?" Harry asked, finishing the letter and calling down Hedwig.

"Are you suggesting that the two of them think something is going to happen and that's why they came?" Hermione asked, piecing it all together. Harry knew it would only be a matter of time before she did.

"That's stupid Harry," Ron scoffed. "They would have told us."

"Maybe not," Hermione said thoughtfully. "If this whole thing is to distract us, then why would Sirius and Remus undermine it?"

"My point exactly," Harry agreed, shooing Hedwig out the window. "They should get back to us before the contest starts."

"Then let's get back," Ron said, moving towards the door. Harry and Hermione nodded in agreement.

As they made their way back to the Great Hall hey heard people arguing. And they were getting closer. "In here," Harry mouthed and the three of them ducked into an empty classroom, leaving the door slightly ajar.

"What do you mean you misplaced it?" Professor Booi demanded, her footsteps echoing down the hall.

"I mean I misplaced it," Professor Snape's voice responded. Harry glanced at Ron and Hermione. Both were listening intently.

"I can't believe you!" Booi shrieked, her footsteps stopping a few feet from the trio's hiding place. "How could you misplace it?!"

"With much difficulty and strategic planning, I can assure you," Snape sneered quite nastily. Harry hadn't heard his voice get like that in a long time. "And I don't see why you need it. No one informed me about it. So I don't see how it matters."

"Oh," Booi snapped in much the same tone as Snape. Harry did a double-take. He had never heard the woman's voice go so nasty before. "So that's what this is all about is it? You're jealous because you weren't chosen. Well don't take it out on the cause, Severus. There is far too much at stake at this point in the game to play inflate-the-ego."

"Trust me, Katrina, I know," Snape hissed with such venom that Harry shuddered. He would hate to see the man's face. "I'm the one you've all sent in to do the dirty work after all. All _you_ have to do is play teacher. Trust me. I'm not about to screw this over."

With that the Potions Master's feet stormed off. He passed by the door and the three of them leant back so as not to be seen. A few moments later, Professor Booi passed as well, looking angrier than Harry had ever seen, despite her lovely robes.

"Does this mean what I think it means?" Hermione whispered, going quite pale.

"What?" Ron demanded. "That our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is in cahoots with Snape? That they're both working for You-Know-Who?!" His voice had gone shrill with anger. Everyone liked Professor Booi. For her to be, well, evil was insane.

"Let's just get back to the hall before either of them come back and find out we heard it all," Harry whispered.

After checking that the cost was clear the three of them made their ways to the hall. It seemed the party was still in full swing. Couples were everywhere, dancing up a storm. Harry began to look for Ginny when Ron made a strangled gasping noise and stopped short.

"Ron, what is it?" Hermione asked with concern.

He simply pointed, eyes wide with shock. Harry followed his eyes and gasped as well. For there was Ginny dancing quite closely to Draco Malfoy.

~*~

Draco had never seen Ron Weasley get so mad. The boy went completely red in the face and stalked towards them menacingly.

"Oh hell," he heard Ginny mutter against him and step away. "Sorry for whatever he does." Draco never got the chance to ask what that might be.

"Malfoy," Ron said with a surprisingly calm voice. "I'd like to speak to you. Outside."

He glanced between the two Weasley adolescents and felt his stomach drop. What exactly had he done? _Why_ had he danced with his enemy's sister? Was he insane?! Probably.

He shrugged as loosely as he could. "Alright," he drawled, smirking at the tall red head. They all made to leave.

"Ginny, stay with Hermione," Ron snapped. Ginny who had been attempting to leave as well looked taken aback. "You heard me," he hissed before she could respond. "I'll deal with you later."

Draco tried to catch her eye but the girl seemed far too enraged to notice. She was then lead off by a worried looking Hermione.

"Let's go," Ron growled and the three boys made for the Entrance Hall. All the way there Draco shifted his posture so he could pull out his wand at a moment's notice. You never knew what would happen with this lot.

There were a few people standing in the hall so Ron and Harry kept going, leading Draco outside. Once the doors had closed both of them turned on him.

"What did you think you were doing, Malfoy?" Ron hissed, pulling out his wand. Draco made to pull out his own, but Harry stopped him. 

"Answer him," Harry hissed, holding out his own wand menacingly. 'Oh this is fair,' Draco thought darkly, dropping his hand. "Then tell me _why _you were dancing with my date."

"It's not like you were there to dance with her," Draco sneered. "What's it to you if I danced with her?"

"You're a piece of shit, Malfoy, that's why," Harry hissed, narrowing his eyes. "Ginny doesn't need to put up with you."

"No, Potter," he spat in return. "If she doesn't need to put up with anyone, it's the two of you. She's not as stupid as the you think she is." 'Where did _that_ come from?' he wondered briefly before nearly getting stabbed in the eye by Ron's wand.

"Are you implying that I think my sister's stupid?" he demanded, jerking his wand about for emphasis.

"No," Draco drawled in response, glancing down at the other boy's wand. "I'm telling you."

"That's it," Ron snapped and took in a breath to say a hex. The door behind them opened.

"What do you three think you are doing?" Snape demanded, looking more furious than Draco had ever seen him.

"Nothing," all three of them said at the same time. Draco glared at the other two who had already tucked their wands out of sight.

Snape glared at them. "Well you better be doing nothing all the way back to your dorms or I'll take fifty points from each of you." Draco stared at him in disbelief. 'What put him in such a foul mood?' he thought bitterly, heading back inside to his dorm.

"Later," he called at the two Gryffindors and let out a laugh at their faces.

Though as he got back to his Common Room the cheerfulness began to fade. What had he done? He had danced with Ginny Weasley! A _Gryffindor_. A _Weasley_! 'Why'd I do it?' he asked himself mournfully, entering through the portrait hole. 'Why was I such an idiot?' 'Cause it felt right,' a little part of his mind ebbed on. 'It did not,' he snapped back. He knew he was lying.

Upon entering he discovered his two friends waiting for him.

"Is it true?" Crabbe asked, getting up and heading toward him. "Did you really dance with that Weasley?"

"Yes," Draco responded, suddenly feeling quite tired.

"Why'd you do it?"

"Why not?" The large boy seemed to think about this then finally shrugged. Draco turned to his other friend. "You have anything to say about it as well, Goyle?"

"Yeah," he admitted. "How was it?"

After brushing off his two friends and any other Slytherin who stopped to question him, Draco finally made it to bed. He felt wide awake now. The day's event kept flashing through his mind. 'I danced with a Weasley,' he thought in disbelief. 'Father's going to flip.' On second thought. 'Perhaps it wasn't such a bad idea after all . . .'

~*~

****

Boxing Day - Outside the Concert Hall

It had been a year and a half since Remus Lupin had last seen Hogwarts. It seemed as immaculate and foreboding as ever. Yet it had been his home for more than a couple of years of his life and had not been the worst place to stay. By far.

"Seems like all the parents have showed up," he said conversationally to the dog trotting beside him. Which is quite stupid since Sirius Black could not talk back. He looked up at him, seeming to express this with his eyes. "Well sorry. But it does," Remus sighed and looked towards their destination.

The sponsors of the contest, McGuggit Restaurants, had rented a large amphitheater for the occasion and dropped it right beside the lake. From what he could see of the inside through the doors the place was half full with both students and parents alike. Within a minute the two of them were waiting in a small line to get in.

"I'm sorry sir," a man dressed in a McGuggit uniform said, not sounding sorry at all. "But you will have to put your dog on a leash if you want to go in."

"What?" Remus asked in disbelief, looking down at his best friend. Sirius seemed about ready to turn back to human form just so he could throttle the git. "We have permission from Dumbledore. He doesn't care."

"That may be so," the official said with a shrug. "But the people who own the hall don't want animals running amuck. So either leash the dog or get out of the way. There are more people who want to get in."

Remus glanced behind, there were only two and they were about one hundred meters away. With an angry sigh he took off his scarf and transfigured it into a leash. He knelt beside his friend who promptly started to growl threateningly.

"You want to see Harry, don't you?" he hissed quietly. The dog seemed to think about this then huffily allowed Remus to put the leash on.

"Happy?" he sneered at the official, showing off Sirius clad in his new leash.

"Immensely," the other man said sarcastically and waved them in.

~*~

Draco was pacing. Crabbe and Goyle were sitting there watching him. Somehow they had come to be the third performance in the contest. And despite himself, Draco couldn't help but be nervous. Perhaps it was the fact that the contest had been delayed for nearly two hours.

"What's taking them so long?" he demanded, turning to his two companions who were both looking a little green around the gills. "Why haven't they started yet?"

"I don't know," Crabbe replied, adjusting the baggy jeans he was wearing for the fourth time in as many minutes.

The three of them were all dressed in clothes similar to those of the band members they were to portray. Baggy pants, buttoned down shirts and jackets all acquired at a shop in Hogsmead that sold Muggle clothing. Draco's blonde hair was spiked up all over but since Crabbe and Goyle's own hair was too short they had settled with sunglasses set atop their heads.

"Why don't we just ask her?" Goyle asked, pointing at Professor Booi who was quickly approaching.

"Professor," Draco called, drawing the woman's attention. "Why haven't we started yet?"

"One of the judges hasn't shown up yet," she explained in a rush. "If you'll excuse me, I have to get on stage." She hurried past them and went down the hall that led to the curtained stage. A moment later they heard her voice boom across the hall.

"Will you all please stop throwing the programs off the balcony!" her voice rang. A moment later there was a loud uproar. Obviously one of the programs had reached the stage. "Very nicely done Mr. Finnigan," she said with admiration. "Five points to Gryffindor."

There was another loud cheer. "Who threw that one?" There was a pause. "Ah yes, of course Miss Bones. Five points to Hufflepuff! Now getting on with business. I know you are all anxious to get started."

"What do you think?!" someone's voice called from the audience.

"Uh, right," Booi said sarcastically. "One of the judges has failed to appear." There was a disappointed murmur from the crowd. "But Dumbledore has conferred with the judges and they have decided to start anyway." Draco felt his stomach lurch. "So without further adieu, let's get this party started!"

There was a terrible uproar from the seated crowd. If one would have thought that all the time waiting would have worn off their energy they were terribly mistaken. It seemed the opposite had ensued.

Draco, Crabbe and Goyle headed off with the rest of the people back stage to an alcove where they could watch the show. 

A single Hufflepuff sixth year strutted onto the stage clad in an extremely short dress and stiletto boots. There were cat calls from the audience. A microphone was magically floating in the center of the stage and she grabbed it, looking out at the crowd.

"First up we have Jane Wong signing 'Man, I Feel Like a Woman' by Shania Twain," Lee Jordan's voice called out across the hall. "Looking good Jane!"

Music started to play and traveled beautifully through the hall. Draco thought he recognized the song. He knew he did when the girl began to sing.

"I'm going out tonight, I'm feelin' alright. Gonna let it all hang out. Wanna make some noise, really raise my voice. Yeah, I wanna scream and shout!" she belted off, sounding quite like Shania. She even moved like her, much to the delight of the male population of the audience.

As the song went on and the audience clapped along the girl hit a few off-key notes. No one seemed to care however, for as soon as she was done and bowing to the audience, they all burst into a frenzied applause. Draco felt his nervousness grow.

"Fantastic!" Lee's voice boomed over the clapping and whistling. "Just fantastic! Now our second contestants are April Arma and Michele Stolkum singing 'Daddy Wasn't There' by Ming Tea and Austin Powers."

A brown haired Slytherin and Blonde haired Hufflepuff walked onto the stage. Draco had heard about the duo, even though they were in the fourth year, but had doubted that he would actually see them perform. 

They grabbed the two mics and began to sing, obviously not caring what others thought. They did crazy actions, prancing about and looking like they were having an immensely good time.

"Do to the A to the D-D-Y!" they screamed at the end and burst out laughing. The audience burst into applause which they graciously accepted by blowing kisses and smiling.

"Very enthusiastic!" Lee called as the audience settled down. "We now have our third contestants Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle singing the 'Points of Authority' remix by Linkin Park!"

Draco felt his stomach leap. It was their turn.

~*~

Ginny hadn't gotten much sleep, much to her dislike. Ron had stood in the Common Room ranting and raving for what seemed like hours about her dance with Malfoy. Ginny had been forced to sit through it along with Harry and Hermione. It gave her a chance to think about what had actually all happened. It had all seemed quite a blur really. She had danced with a Malfoy. She had danced with a Slytherin. She had enjoyed it. 

"What does it show if you are dancing with our enemy?" Ron demanded once again. Ginny finally snapped.

"I don't _care_ Ron," she shrieked louder than he had so far. "I don't give a bloody damn! It's not like there was anyone _too_ dance with since my date scampered off." She glared at Harry who flushed and looked guiltily down at his hands. "And I could care _less_ if you and him are enemies! He asked me to dance and it's none of your fucking business if I accepted or not!"

Ron opened and closed his mouth a few times seeming quite at a loss for words. Ginny glared at him, challenging him to speak. When he didn't she turned to Harry and Hermione. The both of them looked away.

"If that's all," she hissed. "Then I'm going to bed. Good night." She stormed off to her dorm and carefully changed out of her new robes.

The next morning she was awoken by someone tapping her arm.

"Go away," she mumbled, rolling over.

"Come on, Gin," the person persisted. "You have to get ready."

"Ten more minutes," she said through her pillow. A second latter it was violently ripped from her grasp. "Hey!" she angrily, turning to see who had stolen her blessedly soft pillow. She let out a short scream. "Colin!" she gasped, clutching her blankets to herself. "You're not supposed to be _in_ here!"

"It doesn't matter," he said, tossing the pillow back at her. "You're the only one in here."

"Oh, thanks," she muttered, brushing her hair out of her face.

"Now get ready you lazy bum," Colin hissed beginning to pace before her. "The contest starts in an hour."

"An hour?" she asked.

"Yup," Colin agreed. "And they posted when we're going to perform earlier this morning."

"Oh no," Ginny gasped, feeling her stomach jerk. "When are we on?"

Colin grinned wickedly. "Tomorrow. Sixth performance."

Ginny flung the pillow at his face.

It took a record five minutes for her to get ready and another three to eat breakfast. She had to hurry if they wanted good seats. Colin claimed he would meet her at the hall as she went to get her cloak and she hurried to get it. She was halfway to her dorm when Harry popped out of nowhere and stopped her.

"Ginny, can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked nervously, wringing his hands. She glared at him and crossed her arms.

"I suppose," she finally said grudgingly. "But make it quick, I want to get good seats."

"You don't need to worry about that," Harry said quickly. "Ron, Hermione and Neville are already there and they're saving a whole row." Ginny rose an eyebrow at this. "But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about," he said hastily. "Look. I know I've been an asshole to you lately." Ginny snorted. "Ok. A major asshole. And I'm sorry. I really am. That whole thing last night- I just- I feel terrible. Do you forgive me?" He looked at her with pleading eyes. She stared at them measuringly for a moment. 'I shouldn't be doing this,' the cynical side of her hissed, but she ignored it and smiled slightly.

"I suppose," she sighed, giving a little shrug.

"Friends?" he asked, offering her his hand.

She stared at it for a moment then took it. "Friends," she confirmed. 'And nothing more,' she added to herself silently. He smiled at her.

"Then shall we go see this contest thing?" he offered with a crooked grin.

"Might as well," she shrugged again, grinning as well. "Just let me get my cloak." A minute later she was back, clad in her black cloak and Gryffindor scarf. "Shall we?"

Harry nodded and they headed out to the newly placed hall. It didn't take too long, but there was a large lineup to get in.

"So when are you performing?" Harry asked after they had been standing there for a few minutes.

"Tomorrow," Ginny replied. "I guess we're the sixth group. How about you?"

"Tenth," he replied. She never got the chance to reply for they entered the hall and Ginny gasped. It was almost completely full. Five thousand seats taken. 'How the hell are we going to perform in front of this?' she thought in awe. It seemed all of Hogsmead and the parents and half of wizarding London were there. 'Oh Merlin.'

"Ginny! Harry!" someone called. "Over here!" Looking around Ginny spotted Colin standing on a seat, waving madly. He lost his balance after a moment and tumbled to the ground.

"Colin!" she gasped and hurried to where he had been standing. By the time she got there with Harry close behind, Colin had been helped back into his seat by his brother and Neville. "Are you ok?" she asked in concern.

"Peachy," he muttered, completely red in the face. It seemed the fall had only effected his ego.

Looking down the row she saw Harry and Ron's other friends scattered down the seats. In the middle was Professor Lupin and on the chair beside him was a large black dog. 'That must be Sirius Black,' Ginny thought, taking a seat beside Colin. Harry sat down next to her.

And then the waiting began. It took almost two hours before Professor Booi went on stage. Two hours of horseplay, crudely made paper airplanes and flying toilet paper. Ginny could have sworn she saw a pair of knickers fly down from the balcony but she didn't want to think about it too hard.

"I wonder which judge is missing?" she whispered to Colin as Booi explained the wait. He shrugged in response.

"Hey it's Jane!" Ginny heard someone whisper behind her as the first contestant walked on stage. The crowd went crazy and Ginny couldn't help but laugh. At the second performance she felt a bit of bewilderment. She still couldn't believe that April and Michele were friends. She had classes with both of them and knew that they had both been rightly placed in their houses.

"We now have our third contestants Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle," Lee's voice sliced through her mind. She paid rapt attention to his voice. "Singing the 'Points of Authority' remix by Linkin Park!"

"Why does that sound so familiar?" she asked Colin but he never got the chance to reply for at that moment the music began to play. The lights on the stage dimmed and mist began to pour over the stage.

"Yo, yo, forfeit the game, before somebody else takes you out of the frame and puts your name to shame. Cover up your face you can't run the race the pace is too fast you just won't last, won't last, won't last..." Crabbe's voice rang across the hall.

"No," Ginny gasped. "There's no way . . ."

An army of pixies took flight into the air and hung there as Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle made their entrance through the mist. 

Ginny took a double take at Malfoy's appearance. 'He looks so . . . sexy,' she thought in utter disbelief. Both at herself and at him. Her face began to turn beat red.

He opened his mouth and sang: "You love the way I look at you. While taking pleasure in the awful things you put me through. You take away if I give in. My life, my pride is broken."

"No way," she gasped after a moment. "No way in hell." She turned to Colin, pointing at the stage. "That's what _I_ wanted to sing!"

"Look!" someone gasped and she turned sharply to see the pixies beginning to fight. As the base of the chorus started the battle intensified.

Ginny found herself fixated on Malfoy however. She couldn't get over how good he looked. And his voice. Oh his voice. "You like to think you're never wrong. You have to act like you're someone. You want someone to hurt like you. You want to share what you've been through. You live what you've learned."

Then Goyle began to rap. "Yo, yo, forfeit the game. Before somebody else takes you out of the frame and puts your name to shame. Cover up your face. You can't run the race. The pace is too fast. You just won't last." 

There were murmurs from the crowd. Who knew Goyle could sing? Well for that matter? Very well. Insanely well. 

There was a lull in the music and angelic blue figures rose from the floor. There were more murmurs from the audience. This must have cost a fortune. As the base started again the angelic figures began to battle as well.

"You like to think you're never wrong. You have to act like you're someone. You want someone to hurt like you. You want to share what you've been through. You live what you've learned," Malfoy screamed out with such emotion that many in the audience stopped moving and watched more intently than before. 

The three boys stopped singing and the song slowly came to an end with all the lights dimming until the stage was pitch black. The audience erupted into cheers, Ginny clapping and yelling hardest of them all. The lights came back on and it was just the three boys on the stage. No pixies. No mist. No angelic blue figures. It seemed their purpose had been spent.

Draco smirked out at the crowd and his two companions smiled broadly, surprising Ginny once again. She didn't know they _could_ smile. Draco seemed to be searching the crowd. Ginny watched him until he looked right at her. He smirked wider and winked. 'Oh . . .' she thought, wide-eyed, feeling her heart leap. "My . . ."

And the audience continued to go insane.

  
~*~

A/N: Yes, I know, it all seems like some crappy kareeoke (Did I spell that right??) experience. Oh well. I've never really written people singing before as you can probably tell. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. The next chapter should have many more performances than this chapter. Many more. And perhaps a bit more plot thrown in there? Who knows? I know I should, but I don't. I know what's going to happen at the end but not exactly what should happen along the way until I get there. ~sigh~

Many thanks to: **MayanAngel1541990**(Yeah, I hope so)**, lecada chan**(I hope he proved to be a good enough date)**, fyrechild**(My friend if a big Jazz buff so I will go to her for the lyrics and stuff. Now who shall sing . . .)**, Lee Velviet**(One day all nylons will pay. Bwa ha ha- uh, sorry)**, VirtualFaerie**(Glad I could make your day. And just "bit" hyper you say? Riiight. And SITMWY, uh . . . he he . . . We'll see)**, babytigercub13**(But writing cliffys is so much fun)**, bellus-qui**(I am evil. I enjoy it.)**, Liv**(Once again, sorry bout that)**, Azalai**(Ok . . . that was one of the oddest reviews yet. I think I'll leave the green hair and purple eyes all to you. And why is it always the english teachers that are crazy?!)**, elen**(Yes, he so looks like the singer. ~sigh~)**, Lady Moldywarts**(Well, I'm kinda an anit-pop kinda girl. And Avril is ok, I really hate her nose though)**, Witch am IB**(You read my mind)**, uh, that person who didn't give a nameB**(Oh, I intend to)**, Lallie**(Well this one's longer! Happy?!?!?)**, girlychick_87**(Hmm . . . we'll see . . .)**and tulzdavampslayer**times3(Uh, it's 'Magical Muggle Technology' Bah! I dunno. And thanks for reviewing all my other fics! :~)

So, who're going to be the top five contestants? What do Snape and Booi have planned? Are we _ever_ going to find out what the twins chose to sing or why they must be on the ceiling? What did Remus and Sirius owl back to Harry and Co? Are Ginny and Draco going to hook up before the Weasley male population of the school successfully kill him?! Ahh! Find out next chapter! Well duh! Oh shut up.

Please review! It will make me smile! I like smiling . . .

****

Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year to you all!


	6. Surprise Visits

Title: Muggle Music

Author: Tiny Q

E-Mail: one_legged_lesbian_seagull@hotmail.com

A/N: Hi all! Well, here is the last of the contest. Or at least the first part of it. I am really not very happy with it. Sounds rather daft to me. Oh well. I was getting butterflies in my stomach when I was typing this up. Don't know why though. Oh! I put myself in this chapter, along with a few of my friends who helped me a great deal with this fic. I'll give a gold star to anyone who can pick me out. I'll give you a hint: the song I sing was featured in Warren Miller's 'Cold Fusion'. Hope you enjoy this chapter more than I do. 

Disclaimer: I own nothing! But any name or thing or plot line that you don't recognize are most likely mine. I hope.

****

Muggle Music

Chapter 6

Surprise Visits

****

Boxing Day - Vancouver, Canada

Mr. McGuggit, head of the multinational wizarding corporation _McGuggit Restaurant_, was waiting for the bus. He was standing outside his Canadian headquarters with his wooden trunk.

He looked down at his watch and shook his head. The bus was late you see. And it was not simply the public transit bus (Which by the way has a terrible system all across the country, or so I've been told. At least in my city it sucks. But then we're not talking about the ETS, are we? On with the story.) but for the Daybus to take him to the Portkey station so he could go to Hogwarts.

'Stupid transit,' he thought darkly, sitting down on his trunk. 'Never around when you need it but always conveniently in front of your vehicle when you don't.' He grumbled a bit more, startling a passing Muggle.

It was at this time that the Daybus decided to rear it's yellow head. It putted around the corner and Mr. McGuggit stood up. When it was about a block away I blew up. In the raging inferno a solitary wheel rolled past Mr. McGuggit. He stared blankly after it.

"Oh dear."

~*~

****

Boxing Day - The Concert Hall, England

Draco Malfoy's nervousness had gone away as soon as he started signing. It seemed to just leave so only the music remained. And he gave it his all. All his anger, all his soul went into the words and afterwards he felt much better. Better about life. About the night before. About his father. 

He had stuck to his word. When he chose the song he had had his father in mind. In a way it fit, if you didn't look into the meaning too deeply.

The special effects had cost a pretty penny but Crabbe and Goyle both agreed with him that it would had been worth it. Along with the clothes. And the hair.

The three of them went and sat down in the seats Pansy and her gang had vacated. They were to be on soon and had to get ready for the song Draco had heard more than enough about the night before. 'It'll be interesting to see if they can pull it off,' he mused as Professor Booi's voice rang across the hall.

"Mr. Jordan is getting ready for his performance," she explained. "So I will be taking over until he returns." There was a shuffle of papers. "Next up we have Cho Chang singing 'My Heart Will Go On' by Celine Dion. She has dedicated it to a lost friend."

A moment later the Ravenclaw Seeker walked onto the stage. Draco knew her from Quidditch and knew of what had happened to her boyfriend. After that her game failed. It was as though she could do nothing but morn and her life was suffering for it.

"Every night in my dreams I see you, I feel you, that is how I know you go on," her voice rang out beautifully yet eerily. "Far across the distance and spaces between us you have come to show you go on. Near, far, wherever you are. I believe that the heart does go on. Once more you open the door. And you're here in my heart, and my heart will go on and on." Her voice made Draco shudder, brining up terrible images of what the girl's life must be like now. 'And to think I made a joke of it all,' he thought in disgust, remembering the end of last year.

When Cho had finished she bowed silently and moved off the stage. The crowd clapped but seemed to shell-shocked to do much more. Some had been moved to tears.

"That was very touching," Booi sniffed over the microphone. "Just lovely." She sniffed louder. "Our next contestants are Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas singing 'Black Suits are Comin',' by Will Smith. Hopefully it will raise our spirits a bit."

The two fifth years walked onto the stage clad in black suits, Rayban sunglasses and black leather shoes. There were cat calls from the audience and the two of them grinned. Draco had to admit, they looked good in suits. Not exactly what he himself would wear, but they pulled it off.

The music began and slowly did it's duty. People's spirits began to rise only to plummet when the duo began to sing: "I am the man in black. I'm back breaking the back of the random attackers so can the flak. Yo I'm dangerous, I've been trained to bust. When a stranger fuss try to endanger us. Praise me y'all, don't nothing faze me y'all. When they see me their gaze be all crazy y'all. They say I'm a myth, trust me if somebody riff, out of the depth of your imagination appears Will Smith."

They were terrible. Totally off-key. Seamus' voice cracked halfway through yet they still sang on, butchering a decent, catchy song. Draco would have felt sorry for them if he hadn't been spending so much time sniggering at them.

"Uh, thank you . . ." Booi's voice rang out uncertainly. There was a bit of a pause. "Up next we have Millicent Bullstrode, Tammy Fuglem, Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zalbani performing 'Moulin Rouge' by Christina Aguilera, Lil' Kim, Mya and Pink." Booi's voice perked up as she spoke. "Fantastic movie Moulin Rouge."

The four girls walked on the stage clad in odd little teddies and feather boas that caused most of the male population to whistle and cheer with delight. Even Millicent, who had the reputation of being one of the ugliest girls in the school, looked good. In an odd sort of creepy way. Four girls from the audience were not impressed however as they made their way onto the stage as well.

"You bitches!" Lavender Brown shrieked. "You stole our song!" A moment later she had flung herself at Pansy. Draco grimaced as he heard the girls shriek. The Patil twins and one of their friends soon joined the battle.

"Cat fight!" a guy shouted from the backs of the hall and people began to cheer. It took a total of twenty seconds before the Professors and McGuggit officials were prying the fighting girls off one another. 

"Very nicely done ladies," Booi said sarcastically after the stage had been cleared. "But I am afraid the judges have declared the eight of you disqualified from the contest." She seemed to stifle a laugh. "Moving on . . . Next we have Tim Jefferson, Lee Jordan, Fred Weasley, George Weasley and a mystery guest singing 'What We're All About' by Sum 41. Oooh. A Canadian band. I used to be part of a band. Ok, so we weren't that good but . . ." she trailed off and there was a cough in the background. "Sorry," she mumbled. "On with the music."

The curtains had been drawn shut after the Moulin Rouge Incident. It was drawn back to reveal the four boys all hanging from the ceiling, instruments in hand. There were gasps from the crowd.

"Hi Mum!" George called, and the audience burst out laughing. 

"No hands!" Fred added, waving them about.

Jefferson began to beat on the drum he was seated at and the music began to play. You could tell they weren't actually playing, but they put on a good show if making it _seem_ like they were. Then one of the Weasley twins began to sing. Draco wasn't sure which one but he didn't really care. It sounded perfect.

"Nevertheless am I dressed for the occasion."

"It's number 32 now here's the situation," the other Weasley filled in.

"If the beat moves your feet then don't change the station," Jordan continued.

"Pack your bags cause we're leaving on a permanent vacation," Jefferson said finally.

"Well, I'm a disaster," the first Weasley's voice rang out once again.

"A microphone master," the other added.

"Put on your tape and rock your ghetto blaster." Jordan again.

"It's not about the money, cars, hotels, or resorts. About sweating all the bitches in the biker shorts," Jefferson finished. 

They continued on this way until: "Rock! It's what we're all about! It's what we live for! C'mon shout it out!" they all screamed out, proceeding to jump and head-bang, winging their instruments about. 

There were cheers from the audience and Draco almost joined in. That is until he remembered that they were Gryffindor. _And_ the enemy Quidditch team.

They continued the next stanza in a similar fashion as the first and head-banged even harder at the chorus. Then the music stopped and someone leapt, that's right, leapt, onto the stage and began to do some really wicked cords on the guitar. The mystery guest had arrived.

"Oliver Wood!" some girl screeched in the hall and there were cheers from most of the females of the school.

It was at this time that the four seventh years on the ceiling dislodged from it one at a time. Jordan simply jumping with a simple flip. Jefferson twisting several times on the way down to land in a crouch. And the twins both trying to out do the other by attempting to fly or swim on the way down.

They continued to sing, getting to the chorus in which they all went crazy. "Rock! It's what we're all about! It's what we live for! C'mon shout it out! Rock! It's what we're all about! It's what we live for! C'mon shout it out! Rock! It's what we're all about! It's what we live for! C'mon shout it out!" Even Wood joined in the singing and soon the five of them had begun a mini mosh pit on the stage, belting out the song on the tops of their lungs.

When the song ended the audience made such a ruckus that it rivaled the reaction Draco's performance had received. But he didn't mind for he was right in there with them, totally forgetting they were Gryffindor. 'Fantastic,' he thought. 'I love rock.'

~*~

The contest went of for another hour and a half before intermission was called. It was a time when the audience sat of the edges of their seat, cheering on the performances they liked best. All sorts of music were belted out by various groups and individuals ranging from opera and jazz to pop and techno. No matter what was sung the crowd seemed to like it.

Harry had been quite disturbed however by a Gryffindor second year that sang Bonnie Tyler's 'Holding Out for a Hero'. The whole time she had looked directly at him, batting her eyes and blowing kisses every now and then. He tried to pretend he hadn't noticed.

"Just great!" Lee's voice boomed after the girl walked off stage, but not before she had gestured at Harry to owl her. "There will now be a half hour intermission before we continue on with the contest. Food and refreshments will be sold at the back of the hall."

The hall erupted with sound as everyone in it moved towards the exits or the back to get food. Harry looked to Ron and Hermione who were both stretching, then to Remus who was shooing Sirius off the chair. 

"Let's go outside," his old professor told the three of them, and they made their way to the exits. After a few minutes they were in the cool air, moving away from the other wizards and witches coming out of the hall. It was when they were rounding a corner of the lake that Harry noticed something.

"Uh, Remus," he started, making the sickly looking man turn to look at him. "Why is my godfather on a leash?"

Hermione and Ron both stopped walking along side Harry and stared as well. To Harry's surprise the former DADA professor began to turn red. Sirius began to growl.

"Forgot about that," he muttered sheepishly and transfigured the leash back into his scarf and put it on. "Now it smells like dog," he complained, glaring down at the large black dog.

"Well don't bitch at me," Sirius hissed as he returned to human form. "It's not my fault you have a heightened sense of smell." He quickly pulled a black toque over his head and wrapped his scarf high about his face, making it difficult to tell who he was. He turned to Harry, Ron and Hermione. "They wouldn't let me in unless I wore a leash," he explained and the trio nodded in understanding.

There was an awkward silence until: "Sirius, why didn't you owl me back?" Harry finally asked.

His godfather turned to him seriously. "Because I wanted to talk to you in person." He looked at Ron and Hermione as well. "All three of you." He took a deep breath, then glancing at Lupin, began to explain: "There is absolutely nothing going on," he said seriously. "If there were anything happening we would tell you, for you have a right to know. I don't- we don't care what they say. Voldemort concerns you just as much as us. You, Harry, more so than any of us."

"So nothing is happening?" Hermione asked quietly, looking pensive.

"Nothing that we know about," Lupin assured them. "But we're not saying to not to be careful. You must be careful at all times."

"But what about Snape?" Ron sputtered in confusion. "He-"

"Snape's a slimy git," Sirius interrupted darkly. "But he's on our side. No matter how much I wish he weren't so I could-"

"Sirius," Lupin warned and the fugitive shut up. There was another silence.

"What do you think of the new DADA professor?" Hermione asked after a moment.

"Katrina Booi?" Lupin asked, raising an eyebrow. The three of them nodded. "She seems very interesting to me."

"What _is_ it with you and blondes?" Sirius scoffed at his friend then turned to Hermione. "Why do you ask?"

"Just wondering," she replied. "Do you think she'll last the year?"

Lupin's face darkened. "With this school's record? I doubt it."

~*~

After the first day of the contest was over, Draco found himself waiting in a large crowd to get out of the hall. The second half had been just as good as the first with students of all ages singing songs from all different eras and genres.

Some of the Slytherins had surprised Draco by their half decent ability to sing. He never thought them capable. A sixth year guy and a fifth year girl had performed 'Heaven' by Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald and he had really enjoyed it. Then latter a nerdy fifth year had also surprised him by doing a good attempt at 'Busy Child' by The Crystal Method. There had also been a group of second years near the end who did a really catchy song, that he found himself enjoying. 'Squeeze Toy' by the Boomtang Boys might have been a pop song but there was just this really happy, contagious energy to it. 

There was a shift in the crowd and Draco felt someone touch his shoulder. He turned around.

"Mum?" he asked in disbelief as his mother pulled him into a tight hug. Draco had the grace to blush as he hugged her back.

"Happy Christmas," she said happily, finally releasing him. She stood back and looked at him with a grin. "You should style your hair like that more often. It's cute on you."

"It's not supposed to be cute," he said huffily as the two of them moved out of the line and back towards the seats. He didn't even bother to look and see who was watching. He didn't want to know even if they were. "Why are you here mum?"

"To see you of course," she replied beaming. Gracefully she sat down. "And you were just fantastic. I never knew you could sing like that." Once again Draco blushed.

"So are you here alone?" he asked, not mentioning his mother's comment.

"Of course not," she sighed. "Your father was here as well." Draco felt his stomach drop. 'Father saw? Oh shit.' "But he met up with a few friends of his and they all went off somewhere."

"Father was here?" Draco gulped, hoping he had heard her wrong. 

"That's what I said," she responded with a slight frown. "Draco, honey. Are you feeling alright? You look a little ill."

'Oh shit.'

~*~

****

Supper Time - The Great Hall

Neville Longbottom thought the contest so far had been fantastic. Even the performances that down right sucked he had enjoyed. That is until the poor dear realized he would be going up there himself in less than twenty-four hours.

'Oh no,' he thought despairingly. 'I'm going to screw it up. I'm going to ruin the whole thing!' He worriedly shifted in his seat.

'Now dear,' he heard a voice in his head that often reminded him of what he could remember of his mother's voice. 'You're going to do just great. Better than great, fantastic! And if you do screw up, which I highly doubt, it won't matter for other children screwed up and no one cared.'

'I suppose you're right,' he thought in defeat, though he could feel his nervousness slowly fading away.

"Neville, are you alright?" He looked up to see Ginny sit down across from him at the Gryffindor table. "You look a little pale."

"I'm fine," he assured her, feeling the nervousness fighting to regain control. She leaned across the table and smiled.

"Don't worry, I'm nervous too," she whispered and patted his hand. Neville felt better, if just a little bit. Ginny seemed to have that effect on him. She just had this soothing aura about her. It was rather enchanting.

"You guys remember the plan, right?" Colin asked as he took a seat next to Ginny. Neville had always thought the two of them would be perfect for each other if not for Ginny's huge crush on Harry. And now it seemed that Malfoy had somehow come into the picture. He had seen them dancing and he knew what that meant.

"Keep going no matter what happens," Ginny, Neville and a now present Dennis chorused. Colin nodded in approval.

"Good," he said. "Dad sent the telephones this morning."

"I got Hermione to help me with the charms," Ginny added. "There should be no problems. They'll just move a bit, nothing too distracting."

Neville was quite glad that Hermione was such a nice person. He seriously doubted that they would have been able to move the telephones on their own. All they had made them do was roll over. And that would do nothing to appeal to anyone. Except perhaps a fan of telephones, but then Arthur Weasley was not a judge.

"Let's just try and get a good night's rest," Colin said as dessert appeared on the table.

"That means no caffeine. No sugar either," Ginny scolded, pulling a pastry covered in icing from Dennis' hand. He stuck his tongue out at her. She did the same back.

"We'll need to be on the ball," Colin added. "Cause tomorrow, we sing."

~*~

****

December 27th - The Concert Hall

Ginny did not sleep well that night. And by the looks of her three friends they hadn't either. Yet despite their definite lack of sleep all four of them were dressed and ready, standing back stage. Ginny was dressed in plaid pants and a baby tee. The three boys in an assortment of prep-shirts, ties, jammers, runners and jackets. (Neville had flat out refused to wear the smiley faced thong)

The contest had started with a bang. Katie Bell, Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet had done a simply stunning job of singing 'Independent Woman Part 1' by Destiny's Child. They had done a whole choreographed fight scene that truly radiated girl power.

Terry Boot had then done an odd attempt at singing an old classic rock song. The song itself was quite good and Ginny could still hear still hear the words resonating in her head: "Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am, stuck in the middle with you." She suspected she would have to listen to the actual Stealer's Wheel version of it.

'Three performances left,' Ginny thought with dread. 'Three performances then it's our turn.' She looked at Colin and Neville who both looked a little green. She offered them a weak smile which they returned.

"Up next," Lee Jordan's voice echoed. "We have the lovely Katharine Grey singing 'Raise a Little Hell' by Trooper!"

A blonde seventh year Slytherin, with the largest blue eyes and the biggest pupils walked onto the stage. Ginny knew her as being one of the odd ones in the school. The oddest sense of humor, extremely entertaining and great to be around, despite the fact that she was in Slytherin.

"One, two, three, four," a quiet voice called from the background. Then the base started.

"Raise a little Hell, raise a little Hell, raise a little Hell!" Katharine sung out four times, bopping her head to the distinctive beat. The base went lower and she began to sing: "If you don't like what you got, why don't you change it? If your world is all screwed up: Rearrange it."

Her chorus began again with more bopping of the head and a new feature: a twitch of the hips. "If you don't like what you see, why don't you fight it? If you know there's something wrong, why don't you right it?"

The song soon ended and the audience erupted into mad applause. Ginny had a feeling that the older generation was cheering louder than usual. And they had the right being the die-hard hippies that they are.

"Now we have Hannah Abbot, Ernie Macmillan and Justin Finch-Flechley singing 'S Club Party' by S Club 7," lees voice called out after the audience had settled down. "I think you guys are missing four members," he added thoughtfully as the three of them walked onto the stage.

"S Club. There ain't no party like an S Club Party! Gonna show you how! Everybody get down tonight. S Club. There ain't no party like an S Club Party! Gonna take you high. Shake your body from side to side!" They leapt about, waving their wands and making S's out of colored fire. "Ohh ohh wave your hands in the air! Ohh ohh like you just don't care! Ohh ohh there's a party over here! Ohh ohh there's a party over there!"

Once again the crowd erupted into cheers. 'One more group," Ginny thought numbly. 'Oh Merlin, I think I'm going to be sick.'

"And now an interesting combination from every house there is signing 'The Middle' by Jimmy Eat World. Let's hear it for Anny Alnanlie, Sahrah Dinet, Fleur Lenen and Sylvie Star!"

The four seventh year girls walked onto the stage, all in different stages of giggling. 

"Hey. Don't write yourself off yet. It's only in your head you feel left out or looked down on. Just try your best. Try everything you can. And don't you worry what they tell themselves when you're away," they sang in perfect unison, all dancing slightly and rocking to the beat. "It just takes some time little girl, you're in the middle of the ride. Everything everything will be just fine. Everything everything will be all right."

The cheers erupted once more and Ginny felt her face blanch. 'Oh no,' she thought in panic. 'This can't be happening.'

The curtains had been dropped as their instruments were pulled into place. Neville sat himself at the drums and twirled his sticks nervously. Colin and Dennis retrieved their guitars and Ginny stood at the microphone. A few McGuggit officials pulled about a dozen telephones onto the stage and lay them about as they had been instructed.

With a swish of her wand, Ginny got them to start moving. The phone cords would move slow at first and eventually pick up speed and agility until they seemed like they were furious snakes. 

"And now," Lee's voice rang and Ginny's heart stopped. Only for an instant of course. "One of the prettiest girls in Gryffindor, let's hear it for Ginny Weasley!" People in the crowd actually cheered and Ginny went scarlet. She had a feeling the twins had something to do with that. "She along with Colin Creevey, Dennis Creevey and Neville Longbottom will be singing 'Spiderwebs' by No Doubt!"

It was a simple song. When she had first started listening to the music she was drawn to rock. It was where she had first listened to the song Draco had sung. She had wanted to sing it dearly but knew she couldn't pull it off. That's when she found 'Spiderwebs'.

It reminded her of herself and Colin. Stalkers. Or at least, former stalkers. And the video had been cool, though their own telephones would not be getting out of hand.

"Remember," Colin hissed nervously. "No matter what, keep going." He then grinned widely. "And have fun."

"Right," the other three said in agreement as the curtains went up. Ginny suppressed the urge to gape. 'So many people' she thought, gripping the microphone tighter.

Neville began to play then Colin and Dennis soon followed. They were one of the few groups who were playing their own instruments. Though they had to magically induce the trumpets and other brass instruments.

"You think that we connect. That the chemistry's correct. Your words walk right through my ears, presuming I like what I hear," Ginny sang out a little timidly at first then gaining courage. The telephones were curling around her, she ignored them. "And now I'm stuck in the web you're spinning. You've got me for your prey..."

"Sorry I'm not home right now I'm walking into spiderwebs. So leave a message and I'll call you back. A likely story, but leave a message and I'll call you back!" she belted out the chorus, finally loosening up. All her fears dropping away. She began to move to music, kicking as Neville hit the drum a bit too hard, making it seem intentional. 

The telephones moved about faster, seeming to fight with each other. There was a lull in the music and she didn't need to sing. She observed the phones. It was then that she realized that there was something wrong. "Now it's gone too deep. You wake me in my sleep. My dreams become nightmares 'cause you're ringing in my ears," she said slowly, not looking up from the phones.

As Neville started to lay on the base they attacked. 'Oh god,' she thought frantically as they began to quickly coil about her. 'Just keep going. Keep going!'

"And it's all your fault!" she snag out. "I screen my phone calls! No matter who calls! I gotta screen my phone calls!" She began to struggle against them as their grips increased. Glancing back she saw that the three boys behind her were in similar entangled states. 'Someone must have tampered with them,' Ginny realized as a phone cord reached her arms and tried to pull them away from her microphone. She held on.

"I'm walking into spiderwebs. So leave a message and I'll call you back," she choked out, the phone cords finally winning in pulling the mic from her. She could have sworn she heard them cheer. The music stopped from behind her. The guitars removed and Neville being dragged about the floor.

The audience went mad. They leapt to their feet and cheered. No one seemed to notice the four students still battling the telephones. 

"Simply fantastic!" Lee's voice rang, as the curtains dropped. Officials hurried forward and began to battle the phone cords as well. One preceded to be choked.

"Finite Incantem," Snape's voice sliced across the stage. "Honestly," he hissed irritably. "I'd dock points if this weren't a contest." He stalked off the stage.

Ginny pulled herself from the now still cords and then helped her friends to their feet. They all turned to leave but were stopped by a quickly approaching man.

"Simply wonderful!" they young man said happily. "Such expression! I will be giving you top scores."

"Mr. McGuggit?" Neville squeaked.

"The one and only," he replied with an even larger smile. "Now hurry along. Wouldn't want to miss the rest of your colleagues now would you?" The shook their heads no and as they left the stage the curtain went up.

"I'd just like to apologize for my absence," the man's voice rang across the hall as Ginny and Co went to find seats. "But I was waiting for my bus to show up and take me to the Portkey station. It was terribly late you see. When it finally did show it blew up. So I had to take a taxi. But when I got to there the stupid building was closed for holidays. So I decided to take a plane. Got held up in customs then the plane was delayed in Calgary, much to my dismay.

"When I was finally in the air, the plane was taken over by hijackers. This set us back a few hours until I finally got fed up and bribed them with a few Galleons. Once in England I decided not to take a bus for fear of it blowing up with me in it. But I couldn't find a taxi anywhere. So I ended up riding a donkey the rest of the way here. And that is why I am late. That is my story for today, and I'm sticking to it." 

The audience erupted into applause and the wealthy man bowed graciously. Ginny was among them, having found herself and her friends some seats.

"Glad you're finally here!" Lee called. "Now let's continue with the show! Up next we have Cole Stolkum singing 'I'd Start a Revolution' by Aimee Allen."

One of the other Slytherin seventh year girls walked on stage. She was more the artsy type but had an evil sarcastic streak to her. Ginny had never talked to her personally but knew she was associated closely with most of the other seventh years in the school.

"Hey kids, rock and roll. That's how I lost control. Hey kids, go get high. I can't remember why," she sang out, swaying in time. When the chorus hit she began to head-bang, whipping her short blonde hair about. "I'd start a revolution! If I could get up in the morning. I'd start a revolution! If I could get up in the morning If I could get up! Get up! Start a revolution! Start a revolution! If I could get off! Get off! Start a revolution! Start a revolution! If I could get up in the morning!"

The next two groups were both groups of first years with rather high-pitched voices. The first singing Nelly's 'Ride With Me' and the second singing 'Sex and Candy' by Marcy Playground. Ginny didn't much care for rap. It was a station she avoided listening to. The meaning of it all went right over her head and the beat was annoying. She down right hated the latter song. 'How on earth did it get to be so huge?' she mused.

"And now our tenth performance," Lee's voice sliced through the applause. "It is Hermione Granger, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley singing 'I'm a Believer' by Smash Mouth!"

The Dream Team walked onto the stage and Ginny couldn't help but giggle at how ridiculous Harry looked. 'The Boy Who Lived can face down the Dark Lord but thinks twice about singing in front of a crowd.' 

The two boys were dressed in Hawaiian print shirts and pants of different color khaki. Hermione was clad in a white tank top and a brightly colored sarong. Hermione took center stage with Ron taking her left and Harry her right. They grabbed the three microphones.

"Let's go Ron! Let's go!" Fred Weasley called from the audience and the whole Gryffindor house erupted into peels of laughter. Ron turned quite red and Ginny giggled again.

Then the music started.

"I thought love was only true in fairy tales," Hermione's voice rang out to the catchy beat. "Meant for someone else but not for me. Love was out to get to me. That's the way it seemed. Disappointment haunted all my dreams."

"And then I saw her face! Now I'm a believer! And not a trace of doubt in my mind!" Harry started on the chorus. The three of them began to sway more to the music, moving about the stage as they went. "Oooh! I'm in love! I'm a believer I couldn't leave her if I tried!"

"I thought love was more or less a givin' thing." It was Ron's turn to sing. "But the more I gave the less I got, ohhh yeah. What's the use of trying? All you get is pain. When I wanted sunshine I got rain!"

"And then I saw her face! Now I'm a believer! Not a trace of doubt in my mind!" Harry sang the chorus again. The three of them were moving faster now, seeming to get over their initial performing jitters. As the song went into the orchestral part they began to dance, perhaps a little awkwardly, but with confidence. And in the end, that's all you need.

"What's the use in trying? All you get is pain," Harry actually sung and Ginny felt a slight pang of guilt. Here he was singing this supper happy song and she had broken his heart. "When I wanted sunshine, I got rain!"

"And then I saw her face!" all three of them sang loudly, Hermione throwing her hand in the air. "Now I'm a believer! Not a trace of doubt in my mind!"

"I'm in love," Ron sang. "Ooooh! I'm a believer. I couldn't leave her if I tried."

"Then I saw her face!" they all rang out again, getting quite hyper in their dancing. "Now I'm a believer! Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeahhhh!!" Hermione twirled. "I'm a believer! I'm a believer!"

The song slowly came to a stop and the three of them stopped moving, accepting the audience's deafening applause. Ron moved quickly on the stage the and kissed Hermione. There were whistles from the crowd. And to Ginny's utter surprise the girl kissed back. 

The applause got louder.

~*~

A/N: Ok. Terrible I know. Bah. To make up for it, you can all tell me who the top 5 groups should be. Like a voting type thing. Though there really isn't much to chose from. ~shrug~ But thank you for reading it through.

So what's going to happen next?? Who will become the five chosen contestants? Are we _ever_ going to find out what is up with Snape and Booi?? What are the student's reactions to the contest? What are the parent's?? Ahh!

Many thanks to: **VirtualFaerie**(Sorry about the cookies. Chocolate would be great!)**, Miah Tolensky**(Oh, I have nothing against kareeoke. As long as there is good music)**, Lallie**(Why a shoe?? Oh and you can't tell who I am. I know you know. And I'll give you your star in social)**, cgrwchick631, the person who left no name**(Well sorry. Computer's fault. Not mine)**, sexy-sassy-sweety**(Yes?)**, Mia-chan**(Thanks, but no offence, but it's a D/G story. One is supposed to take "great liberty" in their thoughts. And as to Harry, I don't think he considers Ginny to be a friend. Not in the books anyway.)**, Danielle Ditto**(Maybe for her second song. Thanks by the way)**, cat**(I love them too!)**, oliverwoodsgirl**(Hmm, perhaps)**, ????**(Embarrass them eh? Sounds good to me)**, Muffy**(Why thank you)**, leaf**(Well sort of)**, tulzdavampslayer**(Please don't cry!)** and Lee Velviet**(I hope they didn't disapoint, though I fear they did)

Well I am going to go. My bum of a father is watching The Exorcists, and they have just started exorcising. Twisted movie. But it seems sort of interesting. I have a feeling I'll get no sleep tonight. Took me 2 weeks to recover from The Ring. I'm such a whimp. Please review! 


	7. Angst Galore!

Title: Muggle Music

Author: Tiny Q

E-Mail: one_legged_lesbian_seagull@hotmail.com

A/N: Hi! Sorry for the lateness, but ffnet has been down for a bit . . . sorta. You might have noticed that I boosted the ratings. Never really realized how much swearing there was. Oops. Well yes, this is probably the second last chapter. Unless of course the next chapter is oober long and I have to split it into two. Then this is the third last chapter. Mwa ha ha! Another completed fic! Ok, well maybe- I'll just stop this and let you read shall I?? Oh! And a big ass thank you to **VirtualFaerie** for the lyrics to 'Always' and 'Lifestyles . . .' You're such a sweetie! 

Disclaimer: I own nothing! The names of the Weird Sisters are from the CoS computer game, if your wondering.

****

Muggle Music

Chapter 7

Angst Galore!

The rest of the contest had gone by well. However, there were only ok performances after the Dream Team had gone. It was as if someone in-charge had run out of ideas.

The judges took an entire night to total the scores and decide which performances warranted being called "the best". Or rather, which _five_ performances should be deemed the best.

The results? After several pots of coffee the judges decided that Harry, Ron and Hermione, Draco Crabbe and Goyle, Ginny, Neville, Colin and Dennis, Tom, Lee, Fred and George and Hannah, Ernie and Justin would all be competing to be exempt from end of the year examinations. Cho Chang had originally been selected for the top five, but she declined claiming it had been a one-shot thing.

This meant that the groups had a total of two and a half days to figure out their second song. (If they hadn't already) And be ready for the Battle of the Bands.

~*~

****

T-Minus 48 hours - Slytherin Fifth Year Boys Dorm

They were in a cave. And they were trapped. Draco Malfoy had tried for what seemed like hours to find an exit, but there was none to be found. He couldn't even retrace his steps for he didn't remember how he got into the cave in the first place. He just was. And worst of all _she_ was with him.

"I don't understand you, Malfoy," she hissed, crossing her arms and beginning to pace about. Her fire-red hair was blinding. "First you hate me, then you ask me to dance with you, now you want nothing to do with me. What is it you want?"

He had in fact told her he wanted nothing to do with her. He vaguely remembered his father's presence. That was why he had had to do it. Malfoys and Weasleys could not and would not mix. Well as far as his father was concerned.

"What do you want?" she asked again, her voice sounding distant in a way.

'To keep you safe,' he tried to say, surprising himself at his boldness. He never thought that was what he wanted. But now that he thought about it, he supposed it was. But try as he might he couldn't tell her. He seemed to have lost his voice. So he remained silent and stared at her instead. Trying to will her to see what he wanted with his eyes.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" she asked more desperately.

'Why can't she understand me?' he wondered. 

Something weighed down in his hands and he looked down to see drumsticks. Brow furrowed, he stared at them. Then he understood. He walked up to the nearest stalactite and struck it.

"Ding," it rang.

'Someone will hear it,' he thought and began to hit more. 'Someone will save us.'

"Ding ding," they rang beautifully. "Ding ding ding ding."

"Malfoy! What are you doing?!"

"Ding . . . ding . . . ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!"

"Malfoy!"

Draco awoke with a start to see Goyle looking down at him in concern. He looked around to see that he was in his dorm. On the floor. He looked up at his friend in confusion.

"Well don't look at me," he hissed, pulling Draco up off the floor. "You just fell out of bed and started kicking the leg." He kicked it himself to show and it made a loud "ding"ing noise. Draco's eyes grew wide.

"Bad dream," he said, trying to shrug as nonchalantly as he could.

"I'll say," Goyle responded, crawling back into bed. "Now go to sleep. The sun's not even out yet." And with that the large boy rolled over and began to snore almost instantly.

Draco stood there a moment, clad in forest green silk pajamas, staring into nothingness. It wasn't that it had been a "bad" dream, but rather a disturbing one. Never before had he dreamt of Ginny and he hadn't exactly thought it a terrible experience. 

He eventually crawled back into bed, pulling the covers up to his chin. Yet sleep did not return to him. He lay there, staring up at his canopy, thinking. 

He had spoken with his father at the end of the contest's second day. Instead of being angry with Draco, Lucius had been perfectly calm. To Draco this meant that the man had gone past the point of anger. And it unnerved him. He knew his father knew the song had been for him.

The conversation had been short with his father stating that he and Draco's mother would be staying in Hogsmead with a few of their friends. Draco had soon found himself walking about the school halls, trying to think. It was then that she had found him.

"Malfoy," she said cheerfully. "I never got the chance to tell you how well you did."

"Good," he said darkly, looking at her through narrow eyes.

"Excuse me?" she asked taken aback.

"You heard me, Weasley," he hissed. "I don't care what you thought. I don't care what you ever thought. I don't want to have anything to do with you."

Her eyes went wide and for a brief instant Draco thought she was going to cry. How wrong the poor boy was.

"You are such an _ass_," she snarled, her confused look turning to one of anger. She took an angry step toward him. "I can't believe you! I can't believe I- That I-" she cut off, seeming over come by rage. "I hope you live a very lonely life, Draco Malfoy. Because the way you blunder through it that's all you will ever be." And with that she had stormed off.

'You will be all alone you git,' he hissed at himself in his head. He rolled over and tried to smother himself with his pillow. 'And you deserve what you get.'

It was a couple of hours later before Draco miserably made his way down to the Great Hall. He knew he had screwed up. He knew he never should have opened his mouth. That he should have politely accepted her compliment. But then he is Draco Malfoy after all. And does the boy ever learn? Well yes, but, slowly. Especially when it comes to Weasleys.

He was half way across the Entrance Hall when he saw her. She descended the stairs and paused, looking at him. Her posture showed that she was tired and for a moment Draco wondered if he had had nightmares as well. She stared at him, seeming in indecision as to whether or not she should say something to him. In the end she sent him a dirty look and made her way to the Great Hall.

'Damn it,' he thought angrily. A part of him told him to go after her. Another part of him told him to screw it and that there were other fish in the sea. He told the latter voice to roll over dead and he headed off after her.

"Well look who it is," a voice sliced through the air from above. He looked up to see Weasley and Granger coming down the stairs as well, hand in hand. Potter wasn't far behind. "Our least favorite ferret." The three of them looked angrily down at him, approaching fast. He was getting this sinking suspicion that they had heard about his conversation with Ginny.

"Save it Weasley," he sneered back. "I'm in no mood for your stupidity." He turned to leave.

"Oh that's quite rich coming from you," Granger scoffed as the three of them came to the floor. "If anyone's chalked full of stupidity it's yourself."

Draco turned and glared at her. She looked back at him with a superior look that made his blood boil. 'What does she know?' he thought angrily. 'She doesn't know what it's like to be me.'

"Get you and your fake self out of my sight, Granger," he snarled, letting his anger get the better of him. Her new found boyfriend went quite red in the face. So did Potter for that matter.

She glared at him for a moment then her eyes went quite large. 

"I'll have you know," she growled, pointing at her chest. "That these are one hundred percent all natural."

"Yeah," he said darkly. "Cotton."

"That's it," Potter growled. Pulling out his wand. "I've had enough of-"

"What do you think you are doing?" Snape demanded, glaring at them. To Draco's great surprise he was included in the glare as well. "I have had _enough_ of breaking up your petty little spats," the Potion Master snarled. "You had all better be moving to that hall," he pointed to the Great Hall, "In the next three seconds or I will be taking a hundred points. Each."

The four of them looked at him with a mixture of barley contained fury and disbelief before turning as one and heading to the Great Hall.

"What's stuck up his ass?" Potter sneered quietly. 

"Good question," Draco responded.

The two of them looked at each other, eyes growing wide. Luckily it was at this moment that they got to the doors and had an excuse to go separate ways. 'What is wrong with me?' Draco screamed at himself in his head. 'First a Weasley, now _Potter_?!'

~*~

****

T-Minus 46 Hours - Gryffindor Common Room

'I hate him,' Ginny thought angrily as she plopped down into an armchair in the Common Room. As soon as Draco had entered the Great Hall she had eaten as fast as she could then stormed out, regardless of the people around her. 'I _hate_ him.'

The Common Room was devoid of people. The television neglected. No one had gone near it since the contest had ended. Ginny suspected it was getting angry. Loathing the students for neglecting it.

Perhaps she would join with it. Seek revenge with music videos and television waves. Make it so that anyone who watched it would die in seven days if they didn't help her. Malfoy would be the first to whiteness it.

'Sounds over done,' she thought darkly, beginning to drum her fingers on the chair's armrest. She wasn't exactly sure why she was so mad at him. He had simply acted his natural self: a complete ass.

He was nothing but a nescience. A git to be ignored. 'But he danced with me when Harry wouldn't,' she argued with herself. 'And he searched the crowd, just for me,' she added. 'And he looked so bloody sexy up there.' 

She stopped when she realized what she was doing. 'He told me he wanted nothing to do with me though,' she tried to convince herself angrily. An image of Lucius Malfoy passed through her mind's eye. 'But perhaps there is something going on,' she pondered for a moment. 'His parents had been there.'

She had seen them on the second day during intermission. Lucius Malfoy had glared right at her and she had held her ground and glared back, allowing all the resentment she felt towards him for her one year of hell to show through. He had looked away first and she felt victory rush through her until her own parents came up behind her to congratulate her.

'I bet his parents didn't congratulate him,' Ginny mused. 'Well his father anyway. I don't know about his mother.' She was beginning to get quite appalled at her train of thought. Malfoy was right: she did not understand his home life.

"Stop thinking about it," she snapped at herself aloud. And may I just mention that Ginny _never_ speaks to herself. But as it is a universal constant, someone _always_ manages to hear the once in a life time occurrence. The person will then consider the speaker daft for they now have the perception that the individual is constantly speaking to themselves when they think they are alone.

"Stop thinking about what, Gin?" someone asked and Ginny felt her face burn with embarrassment. She looked up to see Colin, Dennis and Neville looking at her questioningly.

"Ginny, are you alright?" Colin asked in concern as the three of them sat down around her.

"Peachy," she muttered, putting her head in her hands. 

"Forget about him, Ginny," Colin said gently. "You're too good for him."

Ginny did not respond, not even wanting to know how he knew she was upset over _him_.

"How 'bout we go practice our new song?" Neville asked, sounding a touch nervous.

"I don't want to sing it anymore," Ginny said glumly. When they had chosen the song she had been happy and had a similar reason to sing it. But now she didn't. 'I have nothing,' she thought numbly.

"Come on Gin!" Colin said exasperatedly. "It's what we have been practicing for over a month!"

"I still don't want to sing it," she said stubbornly.

"Well tough," Dennis said suddenly, everyone looked at him in surprise. It wasn't like the small boy to stand up to the three of them. If anything he was more a tag along. "We can't learn how to play another song to perfection in a day. So you are going to have to suck it up and sing."

Ginny stared at him, wide-eyed. He was right. They couldn't learn a new song in time. Not if they wanted to play themselves. It seemed she was stuck.

"Fine," she said huffily, slouching further into her chair.

"Good," Dennis said. "Now let's go practice."

"Now?" Neville asked. Everyone looked at him funny. He had wanted to practice but moments before. The older boy shrugged.

"Yes now," Dennis hissed. "Let's go."

"Damn dictator," Ginny hissed at Colin and Neville as they all got up and dragged behind the small boy from the Common Room.

They were halfway to their usual empty classroom where their instruments were kept when they heard voices. The four of them stopped to listen. They would have kept going if it had not been for the fact that the voices were those of three very famous wizards.

"I think the contest it going quite well," Kirley Duke, lead guitar for the Weird Sisters, said from an empty classroom. The four of them crept up and looked cautiously in. It seemed here was where the three band members had set up shop. Kirley was well known for his very feminine Muggle outfits. A pink frilly dress seemed to be his outfit of choice today.

"I agree," Orsino Thruston, the band's drum player, responded. "That band with the red headed singer had a wicked drummer." Neville turned quite red.

"And her voice was heavenly," Kirley added. Now it was Ginny's turn to redden. "Don't you think, Merton?"

"That's right Kirley," Merton Graves, the bands cello player, said in a dead monotone. It was rumored that the man had smoked one too many joints in his prime.

"Either way," Orsino continued. "That is where my vote is going."

"Either them or that blonde haired fellow," the bearded man mused. "What did he sing? Linkin Park?"

"That's right Kirley," Merton said in his same monotone.

Ginny turned to her three companions. They were all grinning and Ginny had a twinkle in her eye. Perhaps the battle wouldn't be too bad after all.

~*~

****

T-Minus 32 Hours - Gryffindor Seventh Year Boys Dorm

"We need a song," Lee Jordan said, pacing about the dorm room. Since they were the only seventh year boys in Gryffindor, it was safe to plot there.

"Why didn't we chose one before?" Tom Jefferson asked despairingly, seated on his bed.

"Because we're idiots?" Fred Weasley offered. 

"You're the idiot," George Weasley said, dodging a pillow from his twin.

"Regardless, we need a song," Lee said, walking up to his bed and plopping down. "Any suggestions?"

"'I'm gonna be'?" Fred suggested. "You know, and I would walk five hundred miles."

"Proclaimers?" Tom asked. "How 'bout no?"

"Marilyn Manson?" George offered then. He dropped his voice: "We're all stars now. In the dope show."

"There's going to be kids in the audience," Lee said. "So we need to tone it down."

"Rob Zombie?" Tom asked.

"Same deal."

"Hemorrhage?" Fred asked.

"By Fuel?" George mused. "That's a little too emotional. I'm thinking something fun."

"I second that," Tom agreed.

"I'll third it," Lee offered.

"Oook," Fred said slowly, running a hand through his red hair. "How about some Offspring? 'Pretty Fly' or 'Walla Walla'?"

"I like 'Walla Walla'," Tom said.

"I don't," Lee disagreed.

George began to laugh. The other three looked at him expectantly. "How about Semisonic?" he asked and was promptly pelted with pillows. "Take that as a no then."

"P.O.D.'s 'School of Hard Knock'?" Tom suggested. 

"Suggests too much," Lee said offhandedly. 

"'Bawitdaba' by Kid Rock?"

"Ugh, hick alert," George moaned. "This is a no hick-crossing."

"'The Bad Touch'?" Fred said. "You know, Blood Hound Gang?"

"Once again, the audience," Lee clucked. He flipped on the radio beside him. Turning the tuning dial he stopped at random.

"And I'll be: Taking care of business every day. Taking care of business every way. I've been taking care of business, it's all mine. Taking care of business and working overtime. Work out." The radio rung with the sounds of Bachman-Truner Overdrive.

"Are you guys thinking what I'm thinking?" George asked with a maniac gleam in his eye.

"I think so," Tom said, a similar look in his eyes to when they won a Quidditch match.

"No longer controversial," Lee added consideringly.

"Oh, it will _so_ work," Fred said happily.

~*~

****

T-Minus 24 Hours - The Dungeons

Draco was walking about aimlessly. He didn't know what he wanted to do. One half of him wanted to find Ginny and apologize for being such a git. Another part of him was so appalled at himself that it was threatening to spontaneously combust. And yet another part of him was threatening to break out into song. As to why, he wasn't sure.

'I should have just left it alone,' he thought bitterly. 'I never should have gone near her. I never should have told father off. I never should have entered this bloody contest." His eyes went a little wide as he realized he would be going upon the stage once more tomorrow. 'Merlin, why am I so _stupid_?'

He rounded a corner to reveal the main hall of the dungeons. With a disgruntled sigh he turned to go back the same way he had gone. He stopped however when he hears someone singing.

"In a trap. Trip I can't grip. Never thought I'd be the one who'd slip," rang out. "Then I started to realize: I was living one big lie."

Curiosity piqued, Draco turned back down the hall and quietly approached the source of the voice. There was no one in the hall itself so he figured it must be one of the rooms lining the walls. It was a gruff voice that Draco was sure he would have remembered if it had sung on stage. 

"She fuckin' hates me! Trust! She fuckin' hates me! La la la love! I tried too hard and she tore my feelings like I had none. And ripped them away!"

He came to a stop in front of a room where the singing voice was coming from. It was the last place on Earth he would have expected it to be.

Snape's office.

The door was slightly ajar allowing Draco to see the Potions Master's back. The severe man was rearranging his collection of terrible jarred things. Not an odd occurrence but it was _him_ that was singing.

"She fucking hates me! La la la la la la la la la love!" Snape's voice resonated, banging his greasy head to every word. "She tore my feelings like I had none! And ripped them awaaaaay!"

'Who the hell hates him?' Draco wondered, then realized what a stupid question it was. A better one would be who _doesn't_ hate Snape? He watched his professor as he pulled a small vial from a shelf. He started down at it, the man's song cutting out mid-swear.

Draco had the feeling that he shouldn't be watching so he slowly backed away. He couldn't quite believe it. Snape had been singing Puddle of Mudd. 'What is the world coming to?' he thought as he hurried to get out of the dungeons.

"Mr. Malfoy," a voice rang from above him as he made his way up the stairs. He looked up to see Professor Booi clad in robes of shimmering pink coming down.

"Yes, Professor?" he asked politely. 'Why is she going down to the dungeons?' he wondered, but kept his question to himself.

"Congratulations on your performance the other day," she said, her blue eyes twinkling.

"Thanks," was all Draco could manage. Snape had momentarily distracted him from the contest and his troubles. But now they were back and he no longer had any desire to sing.

"I really liked the song you chose," she continued, ginning slightly. "I bet your father wasn't happy."

"What?" Draco gasped, completely taken aback. "How did you know?"

"Ah," she said, holding up her right hand. "I know many things." She then smiled down on him. "I wouldn't worry about it if I were you, Draco. There is nothing he can do and he has no proof."

"I-" he started then stopped himself. What was there to say?

"It's okay," she said, placing a long, elegant hand on his shoulder. "Just go practice your new song. I expect to see something grand." And with that she walked past him, down into the dungeons.

Draco stood there for a few minutes. He wasn't sure how she had known but he wasn't too surprised either. He realized then who Snape hated. A person who was completely opposite of him in so many ways, yet so similar.

For some odd reason it made him want to sing.

~*~

****

T-Minus 23 Hours - Gryffindor Common Room

"I just don't get it," Ron hissed. "I just can't see what about him appeals to her."

Hermione sighed to herself as she, along with Ron and Harry, watched Ginny leave the Common Room. For the past two days there had been a heavy air of melancholy about the girl and Hermione could easily relate.

"Obviously something or else she wouldn't have been so upset," Harry said quietly, staring after her. Hermione wasn't exactly sure how he was taking the idea of Ginny suddenly liking someone else. She knew that if she asked she wouldn't get an answer.

"I could kill the git for that," Ron hissed, punching his hand into his fist.

The git, of course, was Malfoy. After Ginny had had some argument with him she had came back to the Common Room in tears. There was no one in there, save themselves, and the now tall red head had rushed to her brother's arms. It had been quite the surprise. According to Ron she hadn't done such a thing in years.

"I don't think she would be too happy about that, Ron," Hermione said as gently as she could. Though she loved him, he could still be quite shortsighted.

"What do you mean?" he demanded.

"She obviously still cares," she explained. Harry and Ron both looked at her as though she had lost her mind. "Otherwise she would not be moping about."

"She just needs to get over him," Ron said stubornly, crossing his well-toned arms. "Nothing more than that. No sister of mine will be involved with a Malfoy."

"Especially one so cocky," Harry added. "And full of himself and spoiled and whiney and-"

"I get the point," Hermione interrupted. Obviously he wasn't taking it too well.

"And I think I just got us an idea for a song we can sing," Ron mused

~*~

****

New Years Eve - The Concert Hall - Battle of the Bands

Severus Snape sat moodily in his seat beside Katrina Booi. He wasn't sure how it had happened but it seemed that the rest of the facility was just as much against sitting beside her as he was. Either that or someone was going to pay.

He turned around in his seat for the tenth time that day to look back at the audience. The judges and professors had a seat near he stage which made it difficult for Snape to keep tabs. Lucius and all his friends were seated near the exits.

He knew something was up. He could tell by the way they sat there. And for some reason the group of men had neglected to tell him anything about it. This worried him.

"Stop looking," Booi hissed in his ear. "You're going to ruin everything."

Snape turned and glared at her. "How am I going to ruin it if I don't even know what's going on?" he hissed, narrowing his black eyes.

The blonde put her face into a pout. "Aw, poor Snapeypoo was left out of the loop? How does it feel to be ditched by your only friends?" She made the word "friends" sound like a swear.

"They are not my friends," he spat at her. Merlin how he hated her. "And don't call me that," he added.

Booi stated back at him measuringly, blue eyes seeming to penetrate his skull. After a moment she seemed satisfied with what she saw. She smirked at him.

"Good to hear," she drawled. "Now watch the students."

Snape turned to regard the stage in disgust. The group of Hufflepuffs had just completed singing 'Bizarre Love Triangle' by Stabbing Westward. To him it had sounded terrible and he questioned the sanity of the judges. But then the fact that one had been absent half the time and the other could only say: "That's right, Kirley," didn't help his assumption much.

"Up next we have Hermione Granger, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley singing 'Lifestyles of the Rich and the Famous' by Good Charolette," Booi's voice rang across the hall. She was filling in for the Jordan boy for he was one of the finalists.

Snape glared at the three students as they walked onto the stage. 'Couldn't even come up with good outfits,' he thought callously, assessing their ensembles. They were dressed in cocky looking prep clothes, covered in cheap looking cloaks and gaudy jewelry.

"Ya' only see it on T.V. Read it in the magazines. Celebrities that want sympathy," Ron Weasley's voice greeted his ears. "All they do is piss and moan inside the Rolling Stone. Talking about how hard life can be."

The three of them were doing much the same thing they had done the first time round. They were moving more to the music than dancing to it. They were taking turns signing. All they had done was mix up the order. Snape hoped they got docked marks.

"I'd like to see them spend the week. Livin' life out on the street." Potter's voice now. Snape held back a nasty remark. "I don't think they would survive."

"But they could spend a day or two walking in someone else's shoes. I think they'd stumble and they'd fall," Granger sang out. "They would fall. Fall . . ."

"Lifestyles of the rich and the famous. They're always complainin'. Always complainin'," the three of them sang loudly. Then they began to do something Snape had not expected: They began to take off the gaudy jewelry and toss them about as though it were nothing. There were gasps from the crowd. Snape realized that they must have been transfigured objects courtesy of Granger. He did not join the crowd. "If money is such a problem, well they got mansions think we should rob them."

"Well did you know when your famous you could kill your wife," Potter sang. "And there's no such thing as 25 to life as long as you got the cash to pay for Cochran."

"And did you know if you were caught and you were smokin crack," Weasley's voice rang out once more. 'If only I could catch them smoking crack,' Snape thought bitterly. 'Expulsion.' "And McDonald's wouldn't even wanna take you back, you could always just run for mayor of D.C." 'Now that would be a scary thought,' Snape mused. 'One of _them_ in charge of a city. But then . . .' he stopped himself before he went too far. 

"Lifestyles of the rich and the famous. They're always complainin'. Always complainin'," they once again rang out together. Now taking the cloaks off and swishing and throwing them about. "If money is such a problem, well they got mansions think we should rob them."

The song continued on this way till the end. The Dream Team repeating themselves over and over. 'Damn kleptomaniacs,' Snape thought. The three of them flung the transfigured objects to the crowd who proceeded to go wild. 'Oooh,' Snape thought sarcastically. 'Harry Potter memorabilia. Where's mine?' He made to look behind himself once more. Booi sent him a death glare and he restrained himself, opting to be distracted by the next performance.

"And now, Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle will be performing 'Always' by Saliva," Booi said into the microphone before her, all the while eyeing Snape. Snape paid attention to the stage however. He was quite fond of this blonde student. He would have been proud to call him his own if he had been his son. 

The skinniest of the three fifth years made his way to the microphone. The other two picked up a guitar or sat down behind a set of drums. Snape cringed at the thought of the two of them beating on the instruments. His fears were silenced however when one struck a drum and no sound issued forth. They were just going to pretend to play.

"I hear a voice say "Don't be so blind". It's telling me all these things that you would probably hide," Draco sang. He barely moved, just stood where the microphone hung and sang into it. Snape had a feeling he hadn't known his father was in the audience the last time. Now he did. "Am I your one and only desire? Am I the reason you breathe? Or am I the reason you cry?"

Snape chanced a look back, despite Booi's look of disapproval. Lucius was sitting there, staring up at his son impassively. Snape looked back at the boy who looked so much like his father, only with spiked up hair. He was clutching the microphone now, singing with such passion that it made Snape wonder.

"I love you! I hate you! I can't live without you!" he sang, moving towards the mic with every word. "I breathe you! I taste you! I can't live without you! I just can't take anymore this life of solitude. I guess that I'm out the door and now I'm done with you."

"Always... always... always... always..." he chanted, swaying back and forth on his heels. The lull in the music allowed Snape to get a good look at the adolescent's features. 'He looks so tired,' he thought briefly before the blonde began to sing once more.

"I see the blood all over your hands. Does it make you feel more like a man? Was it all just a part of your plan? This pistol's shakin' in my hands and all I hear is the sound..." The base struck up once more for the finale, the other two students on stage brutalizing the instruments at hand. 

"I love you! I hate you! I can't live without you! I breathe you! I taste you! I can't live without you!" he screamed, his head and shoulders moving with such constrained force, that Snape was surprised the mic had not come free from the magical bonds that held it a float. "I just can't take anymore this life of solitude. I guess that I'm out the door and now I'm done with you."

"Always... always... always..." The song ended and the boy just stood there. The crowd made such a loud ruckus, but unlike his first performance the boy did not grin. Rather he stood there and accepted the crowd's reaction then silently walked off the stage. His two companions however were grinning from ear to ear. They stood up and followed him off the stage, stumbling as they went.

"That was wonderful!" Booi called into the enchanted mic before her. "Our fourth performance will be Tom Jefferson, Lee Jordan, Fred Weasley and George Weasley singing 'School's Out' by Alice Copper. Let's hear it!"

The crowd went mad as the four students walked onto the stage. They took similar positions as they had the first time except the fact that they were on the floor, not the ceiling. A miniature version of Hogwarts rose up from the stage. The crowd 'ooh'ed.

"Well we got no choice. All the girls and boys," Jordan sang, a grin on his face and his body swaying in time.

"Makin all that noise. 'Cause they found new toys," the twins sang, guitar in hand. Their bodies were swaying as well.

"Well we can't salute ya. Can't find a flag. If that don't suit ya. That's a drag," Jefferson sang. Then as the base to the chorus hit the four boys leapt away from their instruments and moved towards the school model.

"School's out for summer! School's out forever!" they screamed into the microphones, wreaking havoc on stage. "No more pencils! No more books! No more teacher's dirty looks!"

It was at this time that tiny objects began to pour out of the school. Little people. On closer inspection Snape realized they were miniature versions of the occupants of the building. They got onto the stage and spread out, making a break for freedom. The twins began to chase after them. Obviously they were not supposed to run away.

"Well we got no class. And we got no principles. And we got no innocence," Jordan and Jefferson sang, as the twins rounded up the couple hundred tiny people. Who, by the way, were now holding picket signs reading things like: "Liberte Students" or "We Like to be Called Little People!". 

"School's out forever! School's out for summer! School's out with fever! " they all sang again as the chorus struck. Head banging followed as well as the twins jumping onto the school model and acting like monsters, ripping it apart. Many of the tiny students abandoned their picketing to run for cover. A few of the stupider students did not.

The song continued and soon the four of them were backing up towards the back of the stage. Snape frowned.

"The school's been blown . . . to . . . pieces!" the twins sand together and it did. The little model of Hogwarts blew up.

The students in the audience cheered the loudest and Snape resisted the strong urge to grin. He had always wondered, when he had been a student, if it was possible to blow the old castle up. He had never acted on it though. No, he left that to Potter and his gang of travelling goons.

"Our next performance," Booi began, her voice filled with laughter. "And our last one I might add, will be performed by Colin Creevey, Dennis Creevey, Neville Longbottom and Ginny Weasley. 'Sk8ter Boi' is the song. The artist: Avril Lavigne."

The four students walked onto the stage and took up their posts. Weasley at the microphone, Creevey brothers on guitar and Longbottom on drums. It still boggled Snape's mind as to how he could play them properly. 

"He was a boy. She was a girl. Can I make it any more obvious?" Weasley's voice rang out softly. "He was a punk. She did ballet. What more can I say?" Snape frowned. Why did the girl have her school tie slung around her neck like that? It didn't go at all.

Snape turned in his seat to look back at Lucius. He took a double take. 

"Severus, stop it," Booi hissed at him.

"They're gone," he snarled, glaring back at her.

"What?" she gasped, and turned around to look as well. Sure enough two rows of seats were now vacant. "Where did they go?"

"How am I supposed to know?" he sneered. 

"It's your job," she snapped back. "Now let's just find the bastards."

The two of them began to look around the hall hurriedly. Snape saw nothing out of the ordinary. "He was a skater boy! She said see you later boy! He wasn't good enough for her," Weasley sang, pumping her fist in the air. "She had a pretty face but her head was up in space. She needed to come back down to earth." 

"Look," he gasped suddenly, pointing to the stage.

Booi let out a gasp of her own. About three dozen black cloaked figures were making their way to the center of the stage. Three dozen cloaked figures with white masks on.

The Weasley girl was the first to fall.

~*~

A/N: Ha! A cliffhanger! Bwa ha h- Ow! Sorry. Ok, so what will happen?? Is Ginny dead?? Well . . . uh . . . I guess you'll just have to wait until the next chapter to find out! He He He. 

Many thanks to: **Sad Strange Little Girl**(Yes, yes he is)**, Xtremegrl2020**(Thanks!)**, cat**(I love that song)**, VirtualFaerie**(Happy Hamster dance?? Uh, ok! ~grin~ Thanks again!)**, Gin Chan**(Thanks for reading Pally! Even if you did only "skim" it. Poop on you)**, fyrechild**(I was going for creepy ~grin~)**, Lallie**(Ah, the fascist is coming out once more. Bwa! But yes, you truly are evil. JK!)**, tulzdavampslayer**(I think I never should have written that fic. . .)**, blacktalons**(Thanks!)**, Miah Tolensky**(It is coming my dear, be patient)**, Never again**(I know, yum)**, The person who had no name**(Really? In person?? Sweet!)** and oliverwoodsgirl**(I know! I always found him so funny! Not to mention Sean's a babe ~grin~)

Thanks for reading! Now, I am going to go off and ogle my new Legolas poster. ~drool~ But before I do that, please check out **Lallie** and I's new collab story under the name **Bitter is Better** and tell us what you think!


	8. It's All About Ginny

Title: Muggle Music

Author: Tiny Q

E-Mail: one_legged_lesbian_seagull@hotmail.com

A/N: Gah! Sorry this took so long! But I had such troubles with it! And I still don't think it sounds too great. ~sigh~ I suppose it will just have to fall victim to the major editing spree I have planned for this fic in the next little while. Oh well. I tried to put a bit of stuff in for the pop fans around here. Hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I own nothing! Nothing I say! Bwa ha ha ha!

****

Muggle Music

Chapter 8

It's All About Ginny

Draco Malfoy stood back stage, watching the entire scenario unfold. It was like watching the Muggle television in slow motion. The black cloaked figures swarmed onto the stage, the black material swirling about like a dream. One of them slowly pulled out a wand, aimed and a jet of blue magic struck the girl at the microphone. 

Ginny fell silently. Her eyes wide with alarm and shock. Her body not even stumbling as she slowly toppled backward. 

The last time he had spoken to her he had told her off. Two days had laid in the wake for him to apologize, yet he never did. Now horrifying thoughts ran through his head. Resonating until he felt he would go insane. 'What if I never speak to her again?' This seemed to really matter to him. The next thought even more so: 'What if they killed her?!' 

The girl's body hit the ground.

"Ginny!" Draco screamed. The world returned to normal speed and it was only then that Draco became aware of his surroundings. The tunnel vision was over.

People everywhere were screaming. A stampede of individuals behind the stage were scrambling to get out the back exit before the Death Eaters egged on. Draco fought against the crowd, trying to get to the fallen red head. 'This isn't happening,' he thought frantically. 'This has to be another dream.' Sadly, it wasn't.

"Please! Remain calm!" Booi's voice screamed over the panic of the large crowd. "Everything's going to b-" A choking noise echoed over the concert hall and Booi spoke no more.

The screaming from the other side of the stage got louder as Draco approached at high speed. With the stampede of people gone, he encountered no resistance. He moved as quickly and as quietly as he could. He no longer cared what his father had to say, or anyone else for that matter. All that mattered to him now was that he got to Ginny and that she would be safe.

"Hey. Malfoy," someone hissed. He ignored them. It wasn't until he was manhandled behind a large, smoldering, model of Hogwarts that he paid heed.

"Where do you think you are going?" Potter hissed, crouching low beside him. Granger and her boyfriend were close behind. The latter looking so panic stricken that it would have been humorous if not for the circumstances. Granger was muttering comforting words in an attempt to sooth him. 'Lost cause,' Draco thought bitterly, turning his attention to the other boy.

"What's it to you, Potter?" Draco snapped, jerking his arm out of the other boy's grasp. 

"Fine," Potter sneered. "I don't care. But you're not going to help Ginny by barreling onto that stage."

Draco glared at him, but even as the angry green eyes glared back at him he realized there was truth behind the Boy Who Lived's words. It would be ludicrous just to walk on up there. He wouldn't even be able to pull his wand, let alone grab Ginny and run before he was shot down. Son of a Death Eater or not.

"So what do we do then?" Draco demanded testily, leaning back on his hunches and looking up at the stage. It was about ten feet away. From the angle they were at they could see what was going on but the people up there could not see them.

"We wait," Potter responded grimly. "Until we get a chance to get her."

~*~

"You will all remain seated if you know what's good for you," a voice rang across the hall, using the microphone Booi had used minutes before.

The entire body of the seated audience looked up in horror at the stage. But by no means were they silent. Cries, sobs and screams greeted Lee Jordan's ears from where he crouched beside the twins and Tom Jeffereson, safely away in a nook just off stage.

"That git's using my microphone," he hissed to the other three present. Tom looked at him as though he were in insane.

"You should go up there and take it back," George offered with a slight grin.

"Yeah," Fred agreed. "I'm sure he'll understand."

Lee glared at the two of them.

"Now let's get all the professors here up on the stage." The four of them craned their heads up to see a dozen or so black cloaked people begin to lead Hogwart's teaching staff onto the stage. None too gently either.

The Death Eaters were everywhere now, nearing one hundred in number. Blocking all the exits and patrolling the rows of seats. Lee figured it was only a matter of time before one came back stage and discovered them. He briefly wondered what the consequences would be, but quickly shoved the thought away.

"That's right," the voice boomed once more. "Now line them up, just as the Master said."

"Master?" Tom asked with a small gulp.

"You-Know-Who," Fred hissed.

"He's here?" Lee asked.

"Why wouldn't he be?" George asked. "This is obviously the Death Eater event of the year."

Both Lee and Tom ignored the twin's attempt at humor and turned their attentions to the stage. The professors had been lined up in the center of the stage, Dumbledore in the center. The instruments had been kicked away, the three boys who had played them being held by as many Death Eaters across the back of the stage. Ginny still lay on the front of the stage, obviously forgotten.

The parade of professors would cause some to believe that people would become quiet. Silent in awe and fear. The total opposite ensued: People screamed louder, rivaling that of their reactions to the performances. Yet it seemed no one dared move from their seats.

"Shut up! All of you!" the voice screamed. "Or we'll give you something to scream about!" It was like magic. Everyone shut up. "Good," the voice cooed. "Very good."

The man with the microphone began to walk towards the stage, pointing backward with a silver gloved hand at the judges. Several Death Eaters strode towards them and proceeded to tie them to their chairs with hexes. Once on the stage the man turned and faced the audience. The only thing Lee could really tell about him was that he was short and rather fat.

"And now," the man's voice echoed. "To introduce the _real_ star of this pathetic show." He turned and looked off to the right side of the stage. The four hidden seventh years followed his gaze. A tall, lanky figure was ascending the stairs, striding to the center of the stage towards the short man. The new addition to the group on the stage stopped beside the other and stared out at the crowd. His face was obscured by his long hood. "Lord Voldemort." 

There were gasps from the crowd.

The tall figure pulled back his hood, revealing the most repulsive face Lee had ever seen. It took all his willpower not to scream. The three beside him were in similar states. Lee shivered as the scarlet eyes surveyed the crowd. All of them frozen with fear, eyes wide.

"This is the first time a group such as your own has seen my true face," the Dark Lord's voice rang. "You should feel honored." 

Lee felt sick.

The Dark Lord's unworldly eyes swept over the stage, coming to a rest on the girl before him. "Pick her up," he said, with a sweeping gesture from a skeletal hand.

A Death Eater stepped forward and stooped down to grab hold of the girl's hair. Then he stood up, taking her with him.

"Ginny!" the twins burst out at the same time, moving to save her. Both Lee and Tom grabbed hold of them, forcing them to remain hidden, if they hadn't been heard already.

"You can't do anything for her," Tom hissed. "You get on that stage and they'll kill you faster than you can say "ow"."

Fred reluctantly leaned back while George, who Lee had a hold of, still struggled.

The Dark Lord strolled towards the girl, who was hanging limply from her hair. A twisted, terrible grin spread across his skull like face as he stared at her.

"We've got to get up there," George bit out, leaning so hard that Lee had to dig his heels into the ground.

"And I think I know a way," Fred said quietly, staring at something to their left. Lee followed his gaze to see one of the little people from their performance huddled a short distance away. Little Neville Longbottom to be exact. "I think Its time we shook things up a bit."

~*~

Draco looked on in wide-eyed horror as Voldemort raised his disgusting hand and caressed Ginny's face. The grin on the bastard's face disgusted Draco far more than the Dark Lord's actions. He jerked forward to attack, to rip and claw and bite or whatever else instinct told him to do. Only something was holding his back. He turned his head. 'Oh yes,' he thought bitterly. 'Potter.'

"Let go," he snapped, glaring at the boy who was holding firmly onto the back of his shirt. "Don't you care?" he demanded. "Don't you care that that son of a bitch is touching her?!" Draco's anger and possessiveness startled him. It seemed to startle the raven haired boy and company as well. 

"Of course I care," he said after a moment, eyes slightly wide with shock. "But if you go up there," he hissed. "You give us all away. Not only your idiotic self."

Draco opened his mouth to protest but never got the chance.

"Leave the child alone," Dumbledore's voice rang off the stage. There was such authority to it that Draco doubted it had belonged to the frail headmaster.

Voldemort snapped his head from Ginny to sneer terribly at the old man. His hand dropped and he stepped away from her, towards him. Draco breathed a sigh of relief, leaning back slightly. Potter let go of his shirt.

"I do not believe that you are in any position to be telling me what to do, _Headmaster_," the Dark Lord spat, moving deftly towards the old man. He stopped but a foot from him. "If anyone moves my Death Eaters will kill them. We have the building completely under our control. And no one knows we're here. In other words, I have you all wrapped around my finger to do with as I wish."

The two men stood there, both standing as tall as they could, coming off to be of equal height. Their blue and red eyes clashing violently with each other. Both of them radiating such an aura of power that Draco would doubt it's existence if he had not been witnessing it first hand. He had only ever seen the daftness of the old man and not this immense power.

"You will not defeat me this time, you old fool," Voldemort snarled suddenly. With that he struck Dumbledore so hard that the ancient man went flying to the ground. McGonagall and several other professors moved to help him. Harry moved as well.

"Move and you die," the Dark Lord said sinisterly. They remained still, eyeing their fallen headmaster in worry and despair.

Albus Dumbledore did not get up.

The Dark Lord's terrible grin spread horribly once more. He turned back to the audience. "Do you see?" he called out. "Your greatest wizard in the world is no match for me. What makes any of you think you have a _hope_ in defeating me?"

The crowd remained silent.

"Now," he turned to some of his Death Eaters. "Shift through the crowd. I want the Boy Who Lived up here when I prove who is the most powerful. For him to be up here when I kill his precious mentor." The Dark Lord drew his wand.

The Death Eaters scattered amongst the hall began to search the audience, violently attacking those who stood in their way. Draco felt the boy beside him stiffen. He seemed about to move. To go up on stage. Granger grabbed onto his arm.

"Harry, you can't," she whispered desperately.

"But all those people are being hurt because of me," he hissed, pulling his wand from his robes. Both Granger and Weasley's eyes widened in realization.

"Harry," Weasley rasped quietly. "If you go up there, You-Know-Who gets everything. Dumbledore, the professors, fear, you. You can't let that happen. We have to have something up our sleeve."

Potter stared at the red head. So did Draco. In his own twisted way, Weasley made sense.

"Fine," Potter sighed after a moment's silence. The four teens turned back to the stage. There was nothing else to do but watch and wait and hope.

Draco's eyes were on the professors as the hall was being searched. Professor Booi was looking around, seeming to also search for Potter as well. He noticed that Snape was looking about in a similar fashion. Booi's eyes suddenly met his own and Draco froze. People on the stage could see them.

Her eyes then darted to the other side of the stage and hovered that for the briefest of instants before returning to the Death Eaters. Leaning back slightly, Draco peered down the length of the stage to see Ginny's twin brothers crouched down there as well.

"Potter," he whispered, nudging the boy beside him.

"What?" he snapped, pulling his anxious gaze away from the scenario unfolding before them.

Gesturing with his head, Draco motioned towards the other hidden group. Potter leaned carefully back and looked as well. He moved back quickly.

"What is it?" Weasley hissed.

"The twins," Potter explained. "They're up to something. I can't tell what though."

Voices on stage distracted them before he could elaborate: "We can't find him sir," a nervous looking Death Eater said in an undertone. Draco suspected that he must be new to the ranks.

"That's impossible," Voldemort hissed dangerously. "I know he's here. I can feel him in my bones." He then used his scarlet eyes and began to peer around himself. After a moment he tutted.

"Fine," he said simply. "If Potter does not want to come out and play, we'll just have to make him." His mouth twisted upwards. "And what better way than to kill someone. Surely the righteous boy would protest to that." His lips twisted more violently as he turned to the line of professors. "Why not one of you?" he said slowly, coming to a stop between Snape and Booi. Draco felt his heart drop further. Something he thought would be physically impossible. Obviously he was mistaken.

"You have been a thorn in my side for far too long, Severus," the Dark Lord said, addressing the greasy haired man. "Playing both sides." He shook his head. "I expected more from you."

Draco felt his head reel. 'Snape?' he wondered. He had heard rumor that he had been a Death Eater, but he never knew… Judging by the reactions of the three beside him, they hadn't known either.

The Dark Lord then turned to the blond haired woman. "And you," he said slowly. "You are the most talked about professor there is." He rose a nonexistent eyebrow. "Your death would bring about a loss of moral for all." He went quiet, seeming to weigh his options on the professor's deaths.

To Draco it was terribly sadistic to a point where he felt sick. And to think: his father was a part of this! He shuddered at a memory of a time he wanted to be just like him.

"I can't decide," the snake faced man said after a minute's silence. "I suppose I will just have to kill you both." He held up his wand.

"I don't think that would be a wise idea," Booi said suddenly, her voice travelling across the hall as all the other voices had. Except her voice drew everyone's attention to the stage. Someone else was standing up to the Dark Lord! Draco looked on in disbelief. 

"And why not?" Voldemort asked, amusement barely hidden from his voice.

"Because if I fall," she said earnestly. "The rest of the Order will be on you before you can even think to kill Severus."

"Order?" he scoffed. "What sort of _order_ could bring me down?"

"The Order of the Phoenix," she replied. 

There were gasps from the crowd. Draco frowned. What _was_ that woman talking about? What on Earth was an "Order of the Phoenix"? The Dream Team seemed in a similar state of confusion.

The Dark Lord started and Booi for a moment then burst out laughing. It was a terrible sound. Cold and unnatural.

"My dear girl," he snorted. "Do you actually believe that _myth_ will save you? They do not exist. They never have."

"Oh, but they do," Booi sneered, a smirk playing on her face. "And I can tell you this: the wizards and witches of the rest of the world are not nearly as terrified of you as your own nation's." She smirked broader. "You can't intimidate them."

"You lie!" Voldemort growled, pressing his wand to the woman's neck with a speed Draco thought would be impossible.

Booi laughed. "Fool."

Something began to flood onto the stage. It was then that all hell broke loose.

~*~

Remus Lupin stared at the stage. So it _was_ true. Dumbledore had a member of the Order of the Phoenix in the school. 'Amazing how Voldemort picked her out first,' he thought darkly, not much doubting Snape to have been chosen. Everyone had known it would only be a matter of time before he was uncovered. Even Snape himself had known.

He watched in amassment as the current DADA professor laughed in the face of the most evil creature alive. 'It must be true what she said. Other nations are not afraid.' He supposed that was why the Order had been called. They were a small, secretive group of wizards and witches from all across the globe who would band together to fight for a common cause of good. A tradition that had been started somewhere back in the Dark Ages of mankind and carried through until the present. Only the best of the best were allowed in and it was an honor to be selected. Remus had heard rumor that Dumbledore himself had been a member back in his youth.

Something began to flood onto the stage. It took a moment for Remus to realize what it was.

"It's the Little People," he muttered to the dog beside him. Sure enough the tiny Hogwarts residents began to rush the stage. 

"Master!" one of the Death Eaters cried out as a portion of the tiny army began to crawl all over him. More Death Eaters soon succumbed to this fate, being bitten, scratched and generally gang beat with picket signs and fists.

Voldemort looked over to the melee of his army and the tiny one. Remus watched as Snape took advantage of the Dark Lord's momentary distraction to kick the man in the shin, Booi graded for his wand. He never would have believed the man's actions if he had not seen them with his own eyes. Snape the Slimy Slytherin actually taking initiative for someone else's cause.

"Get them off!" a random Death Eater screamed, attempting to fling the tiny people off of him.

Something exploded from the center of the stage and the man fell dead, the tiny people stumbling about as if drunk. Remus looked to the source to see Snape, Booi and Voldemort in a dog-pile on the floor, struggling to gain control of the Dark Lord's wand.

"Now!" someone in front of them screamed in an odd accent, standing up. The individual was clad in a navy blue cloak. Remus and the dog beside him looked around to see many more blue cloaked figures stand up amongst the crowd.

They were still out numbered three to one by the Death Eaters.

The Death Eaters patrolling the exits and aisles turned in surprise, wands at the ready. The blue cloaked figures struck the ones at the exits with various freezing hexes and charms before they had a chance to react. 

It all made sense now. Dumbledore had expected something to happen. And even if he hadn't the Headmaster must have wanted to assure all present's safety. So he called in the Order to protect and defend people if things went astray.

"Get them you fools!" the silver handed man shrieked.

"Wormtail," Remus hissed, regardless of the people around giving him strange looks. He turned to the black dog, who was growling angrily, and began to untie the transfigured leash. "Hang on Snuffles."

He glanced around the hall to see that many of the Death Eaters guarding the exits had been disabled. A few of the blue cloaked wizards and witches had fallen as well.

"Second wave!" a voice from the balcony screamed. "Now!"

Ordinary dressed people stood up now. He recognized a few of them. 'Aurors.' So they had even more backup. Perhaps Dumbledore had known something was going to happen after all.

"Everybody get down!" another screamed on their level as people began to scream and panic. But then, who wouldn't with different colored hexes and curses flying over head.

That's when the shit really hit the fan. People scrambled everywhere to escape. Aurors and Blue cloaked figures began to combat against the black cloaked Death Eaters. The two forces were now about evenly matched. Individuals were herding the younger children and the elderly to the back of the hall and out the open exits.

Looking about Remus saw common wizards and witches alike begin to aid in the fight. Students as well, mainly the older ones. He looked to the stage to see the professors were now struggling with Voldemort and the three dozen Death Eaters as well.

"Let's get up there before it's too late," Remus called to the dog beside him, dodging a red blast of magic. The dog nodded and off they went.

~*~

"Can we go up there now?" Malfoy demanded from where he was crouched beside Harry, wand at the ready. 

Harry turned to look at his two best friends who nodded, pulling out their wands as well. Harry did the same.

Malfoy didn't even wait for a response. He leapt up and vaulted onto the stage with an agility Harry never knew the boy possessed. He realized then, or rather confirmed, that Malfoy really did have it bad for Ginny. He felt a pang of loss.

"Let's go," Ron began but a sudden, loud screech caused the Dream Team to stop. A second later, strange sounds began to travel all along the hall. "It sounds sort of familiar," Ron mused.

"Everybody. Rock your body. Everybody. Rock your body right, Backstreet's back. Alright!"

"Backstreet Boys," Hermione said suddenly, ignoring the skeptical looks of her two companions. "Someone must have hit the Jukebox."

"Or did they?" Ron offered skeptically.

"Do you mean…" Harry trailed off, a funny look on his face. "But then, why would _Death Eaters_ want to listen to Backstreet Boys?!"

A scream from the stage returned the trio's attention back to the situation at hand.

"We can speculate later," Hermione said suddenly. "Let's get up there and help."

"Right," Ron and Harry said at once.

The Dream Team pulled themselves up onto the stage. Instantly they were greeted by a queer sight. A large melee was occurring on the stage, yet all those in the fray seemed to be fighting in sync (no pun intended) with the music.

"Am I original? Yeah. Am I the only one? Yeah. Am I sexual? Yeah. Am I everything you need? You better rock your body now!"

Harry felt his eyes grow wide as they became noticed. A Death Eater pointed at them.

"Stuptefy!" Hermione screamed as Ron punched another approaching one out.

Harry kicked out with limbs, screamed and blasted magic from his wand until his throat went hoarse. Ron and Hermione were in similar stages of battle, fighting side by side.

It occurred to him that the Death Eaters really weren't too bright. (This might have been brought about by the sight of a couple simply falling off the stage screaming bloody murder) It was almost as though this "dark" army had been chosen for their sheer stupidity. 

'I wonder what kind of tests they have to pass,' he mused as he hit a particularly odd one with a binding hex. 

"Now throw your hands up in the air! And wave 'em around like you just don't care! If you wanna party let me hear you yell! Cuz we've got it going on again!"

He was about to tell his friends about his odd and twisted thoughts but they were missing. It seemed that Ron and Hermione had been separated from him. He looked around but could see no sign of them in the fray. He was about to start searching for them when an acute pain in his forehead stopped him.

With a sudden sense of dread, stupid Death Eater recruitment camp forgotten, Harry turned. The man he was expecting stood there leering at him, a wand once again in hand. It wasn't the Dark Lord's own.

That same, foreign wand was raised and pointed at Harry's chest. He felt his heart within him stop beating.

"Good bye, Harry Potter."

~*~

Katrina Booi was in her element. Battle was what she had been trained for for most of her life. Why she had been recommended to the Order in the first place. 

With a swift roundhouse to the head, the Death Eater she was struggling against fell to the ground. Glancing to the rest of the hall, Booi saw her comrades dressed in the customary blue cloaks. She ignored the fact that the body of combatants bellow was fighting in time with the pulsing music with a touch of amusement. Their movements were making the scenario look more like a rave than a battle zone. Despite all this though, she noticed that her comrades were fighting in a similar fashion as herself. Though they employed the use of their wands. 

Katrina longed for her wand, but had lost it after that terrifying ordeal with the Dark Lord. She might have looked cool and collected but inside she had been a nervous wreck. She really thought that was going to be the end. Yet, if she hadn't bit back her fear, more people would most likely be dead right now. Severus and herself included. 

"Booi!" someone called from behind her. "Duck!" She complied, hitting the ground hard just as a green jet of magic sizzled over her head. She looked up to see Snape whacking the Death Eater responsible with a disregarded guitar. 'Speak of the devil,' she mused.

"So everybody everywhere. Don't be afraid, don't have no fear. Gonna tell the world, make you understand. As long as there be music we'll be coming back again!"

"Severus!" she called, seeing another black cloaked man rise in the other's place. Snape whirled around with the guitar, but was too slow. The Death Eater struck him in the face with his fist, sending the skinny Potions Master to the ground. 

Booi scrambled to her feet, stooping to grab her defeated Death Eater's wand. She launched herself at the one who had punched Snape. The two crashed to the ground, where she proceeded to attack with all her might.

"Everybody. Yeah! Rock your body. Yeah. Everybody. Rock your body right. Backstreet's back alright! Alright!"

She felt she was doing good until she felt the man's fist connect with her chest. Something cracked. Booi gasped aloud, momentarily stopping her vicious attack. The Death Eater took the opportunity to punch and kick a few more times, until the woman was on the ground in a ball of pain.

"Get off her you bastard," a man hissed. Booi looked up in time to see Snape knock the Death Eater in the face with the guitar sending him to the ground unconscious. The man's mask fell away. 

It was Lucius Malfoy.

~*~

Draco scrambled through the fallen bodies and still standing ones in an attempt to find her. Everywhere he looked that was carnage: Professors fighting, Aurors fighting, the apparent Order of the Phoenix fighting. Even the audience was fighting. The Death Eaters were out numbered five to one. If you didn't count the battling students.

The odd song that had been playing stopped. All present in the hall paused in their battle to look around, almost as if searching for the vacant sound. The did not have to wait long until the void was filled.

"When you are feeling sad and low. We will take it, we gotta go. Smiling dancing, everything is free. All you need is positivity," rang through the hall and still everyone stood still.

"Oh!" someone called from within the seats. "_Now_ they play Brit Pop!" There were a few laughs.

"Colors of the world(Spice up your life)! Every boy and every girl(Spice up your life)! People of the world (Spice up your life)! Ahhhhhhh…"

Music back in swing the battling resumed.

Distraction over, as odd as it had been, Draco turned to look near the back of the stage, He saw the twins and their two friends rush onto the stage as well. They had released the little people. None too soon.

There was a break in the bodies before him and he saw her. 'Ginny,' he thought, seeing the flame-red haired girl lying on the stage. He bolted towards her, skidding to a halt and dropping to his knees in one movement.

Completely heedless as to what was going on around him now, Draco reached out and touched the girl's arm. It was deathly cold. His eyes widened. 'She can't be,' he thought desperately. 'She just can't.'

"Slam it to the left. If you are having a good time. Shake it to the right. If you know that you feel fine. Chicas to the front. Uh uh, go round!"

He carefully rolled her over, looking at her face. Ginny's eyes were wide open, staring blankly up at the ceiling. His breath caught in his throat.

Draco gently touched her face, not quite sure what he was doing.

"Ginny," he whispered, resisting the urge to turn his head away. "Don't be dead."

"Why would I be?" she mumbled slowly. 

Draco's eyes widened. "You're not dead?" he asked quite stupidly.

"No," her mumbled words greeted his ears once more. "Just all stiff." Her head rolled slightly as though the stiffness was slowly going away, her eyes turning towards him. "It's you," she said in dismay. "I thought you wanted nothing to do with me."

"I lied?" he offered weakly, suddenly not too comfortable with the sense of relief cursing through him. Relief and something else that was quite alien to him. He tried to ignore it but the feelings persisted.

She moved her head in an attempt to sit up. Without thinking, Draco pulled her into his arms and held her there. She stared up at him.

"How do I know?" she asked, eyes narrowing. "How do I know you're not lying right now?"

"Because of this," he replied. Before he had the slightest idea of what he was doing, Draco leant forward and placed his lips firmly on hers.

"Flamenco. Lambada. But hip hop is harder. We moon walk the foxtrot. Then polka the salsa. Shake shake shake, haka! Shake shake shake, haka!"

Ginny's relatively limp body stiffened in his arms and for an instant he though she would struggle to get away. But to his surprise, and delight I might add, she began to kiss him back.

It was the most wonderful feeling in the world to him. A sense of warmth that radiated through his entire body. Pangs of happiness shooting through him. Her body warm against his. He pulled her closer and deepened the kiss. He felt her arms clumsily reach up to grab hold of him.

"Oi! Get off my sister!" someone called from behind him and Draco pulled back, face flushed. Panting slightly he glanced down to see the sister in question was turning bright red, and had a goofy grin on her face. Her hands were clamped onto his shirt.

Draco looked back to see one of the twins frowning down at him. The other wasn't far behind, cheering for a small pack of little people now armed with nails.

All at once the small armada leapt at a group of unsuspecting Death Eaters and lodged themselves onto the backs of their ankles. They then proceeded to jab the mask wearing felons with the aforementioned nails, quite painfully too. The Death Eaters howled in pain, kicking and swinging their entire legs in an attempt to get them off.

Yet the little people held on. When their nails had been lost they began to use their teeth, their victims still kicking away. Some of the Death Eaters had begun to lean on their comrades for support and their actions began to resemble a Ukrainian dance. Well, if you ignored the howls of pain and flying little people.

"Slam it to the left. If you are having a good time. Shake it to the right. If you know that you feel fine. Chicas to the front. Uh uh, go round!"

Draco turned back to the Weasley twin, who was grinning like the Cheshire Cat. "Well that wasn't odd," he muttered, and Ginny nodded in wide-eyed agreement.

"Let's get her out of here before she gets trampled." As if on queue, a howling Death Eater stumbled past, narrowly missing the girl's foot. The twin blew the man away with his wand as though he had been nothing more than a feather.

Draco nodded and stood up, taking the girl up with him. "Can you walk?" he asked after he realized she could stand.

"Sort of," she said softly, staring at his chest.

Without another word, he pulled her right arm over his shoulder and wound his own around her waist. He felt a tingling sensation travel all up his body.

The older Weasley, now accompanied by his double, was looking at him with raised eyebrows but chose not to comment. Instead he, along with the other, nodded and proceeded to clear the way for the two to get safely off the stage.

"Slam it to the left. If you are having a good time. Shake it to the right. If you know that you feel fine. Chicas to the front. Hi Ci Ya Hold Tight!"

Draco could almost feel the girl pressed closely beside him frown. He turned his head down to look at her questioningly.

"Why are they playing Spice Girls?" she asked, the mumbling of her words fading fast.

"Because they like to have the feminine edge to emphasize their sheer brutality and stunning masculinity?" he offered, dodging a running and might I add screaming? Death Eater.

Ginny giggled but seemed to sober up after a moment. She looked around the stage.

"Where's Colin?"

~*~

Colin Creevey was being held by an extremely over grown and smelly Death Eater. He had to struggle not to be sick every time the man moved. The smell was so bad. Yet despite that he had been squirming in an attempt to get away, but the man held fast.

"Shouldn't you be helping the rest of your dirty lot?" he demanded, finally giving up his attempt to break free.

"No," the smelly man grunted, and Colin sighed.

The Brit song had ended as all songs do. A new pop song now took it's place. It had a rock-like edge to it however that caused Colin to frown. 

"Dirty pop... *NSYNC... yo ... BT…" traveled to all present's ears. "Sick and tired of hearin' all these people talk about what's the deal with this pop life and when is it gonna fade out? The thing you got to realize is what we're doing is not a trend. We got the gift of melody. We gonna bring it 'til the end. _Come on now..._"

Colin began to suspect that the Death Eaters had an affinity for pop music.

He began to simply observe the almost comical war before him. Death Eaters being attacked by little people. Death Eaters being beat up by teachers who seemed too old to put up much of a fight. Death Eaters generally falling about the place. The sliver gloved man running quickly through the crowd in an attempt to get away from a large, black dog. His old DADA professor close behind charged with a large stick of unknown origin. In general there were Death Eaters running amuck and getting their asses kicked all over the place.

"It doesn't matter 'bout the car I drive, what I wear around my neck. All that matters is that you recognize that it's just about respect. It doesn't matter 'bout the clothes I wear and where I go and why. All that matters is that you get hyped and we'll do it to you every time!"

Colin glanced to the place where his camera was hidden near the back edge of the stage. He was just breathing a sigh of relief when some idiot of a Death Eater went crashing to the ground on top of it. 

The music stopped around him.

"Nooooooooo!" Colin screamed. Moving so fast and violently with a strength no one knew he possessed, the boy broke free of his captor and hurried toward the fallen Death Eater.

"Where is it?" he screamed, shaking the dazed man when he saw no sign of it. "Where is my Precious?!"

The Death Eater looked confused.

"My _camera_ you git!" he bellowed, banging the man's head on the ground.

Realization seemed to dawn on the unfortunate Death Eater and he reached behind himself and pulled something out. The camera was a right mess: smoking and generally looking pathetic.

"My _Precious_!" Colin shrieked, nearing insanity if he wasn't there already. "You killed it!" He snatched the broken device and kicked the man in the side. He then began to cradle the camera in his arms. Seeming to register it's master's presence it began to flash, with large, blinding amounts of light. It was like a strobe light really.

Someone screamed in pain.

Colin did the same.

~*~

Harry stood rooted on the spot, too startled to do much of anything else. 'This is it,' he thought. 'I'm dead.' Yet he kept his eyes open, just as he imagined his father had.

The Dark Lord, sensing the boy's submission, grinned wider. "Avada," he began maliciously. Harry took a breath. "Kada-Ahhhhh!"

"Kada-ahhhh?" Harry asked, as the Dark Lord clutched his face. A pulsing light was flashing from somewhere behind Harry. It seemed that the Dark Lord's scarlet eyes were not so accustomed to withstanding bright lights.

"Do you ever wonder why (why) this music gets you high? It takes you on a ride. Feel it when your body starts to rock. And baby you can't stop. And the music's all you got. This must be: Dirty pop, dirrrrty, dirrrrty pop! You can't stop! I know you like this dirty pop! _This must be_…"

With a moment's hesitation, Harry pushed forward and connected his foot with the withering Dark Lord's ribs. 

"That was for my mother!" he yelled down at the man angrily. He kicked the snake man again. "_That_ was for my father!" Kick. "That was for Cedric!" Kick. "That was for everyone whose life you fucked up!" He then lashed out as hard as he could. "And that was for me! You bloody, two faced monstrosity!" he bellowed, kicking out with each word. "You're not even-"

He was cut off as someone grabbed him from behind. He began to struggle against his new captor. "Let go!" he managed, as a new wave of fear spread over him. The size of the man could only mean that he was a Death Eater. 

He kicked as hard as he could but it didn't help. The man had him firmly round the middle and was slowly squeezing him so hard that he felt he was being compressed.

"Leave him be!" a familiar voice said sternly from the right. Harry turned just in time to see Dumbledore blast his captor with some hex. He was dropped immediately.

The sound of running feet greeted his ears. "Harry!" he heard Hermione cry and was soon hefted to his feet by Ron. He looked at his two friends graciously then back to the old man. Dumbledore was staring at Voldemort as he struggled to his feet.

"Fools," Voldemort hissed, finally managing to his feet. He was quite the mess with blood and all that about his face. If it could even be called a face.

Before another word could be uttered the Dark Lord took a deep breath and screamed: "Retreat!" 

The music stopped and calls of "Retreat!" echoed across the hall and an instant later Harry's vision was clouded by a thick, dense fog. He could barely see his hand before his face.

"They're getting away!" someone called in despair.

Sure enough, when the fog cleared no Death Eater who had stood before were there any longer. They had escaped in their cover, taking with them a few of their fallen members.

Yet bodies from both sides were all along the length of the hall. Most still alive, just hexed into unconsciousness. Harry looked among the carnage to the ones left standing.

Snape helping Booi to her feet. Colin crying over his broken camera, which, he realized, had saved his life. (It was still flashing) The twins and co searching for the remaining little people who had survived. Lupin muttering to Snuffles about something. And at the head of it all, his date and enemy looking mighty comfortable in each other's arms.

  
~*~

A/N: Mwa! It is done! Well, this chapter anyway. There is only one left! ~dances happily~ Sorry. Really don't much care for this one anymore. Not enough D/G or humor and the novelty has worn off. Now it's time for a new fic! ~giggles~ Coming soon I assure you!

Many thanks to: **LoverOfTheSnowHairedAngel, fryechild**(Sorry about the soon part)**, Sayo**(It makes me so angry when they overplay music. It ruins it!)**, brown-sugar**(And now you can have the new LP CD on repeat for a week)**, tulzdavampslayer**(Only here to make your life miserable honey! JK!)**, elen, Lallie**(Cranky you say? Not good. And I am not that evil. Ok, maybe I am but… You know what? Never mind! You know what I mean. I hope…)**, ** **oliverwoodsgirl**(Sorry honey. Perhaps he'll be in the epilogue though. ~wink wink~)**, HEARTBREAKER-07!!!**(That won't convince me cause I'm blond too. We just have to deal with the confusion I suppose. ~grin~)**, Dannie7**(~laughs~ Yes, Neville is safe. I could never hurt him. Ginny on the other hand…)**, Sangel, blancheflor**(Yeah, Edmonton Transit. What a hoot. So I am assuming your Edmontonian then? Ain't the weather grand??)**, Rivenloe, Apples_n_oranges**(Merci Beaucoup!)**, Jen**(I know, there has been a definite lack. I appall myself)**, Miah Tolensky, Muffy, Jen, Michi **and **__wheeze))**(Well, I don't really want to thank you, but you gave me a review so I suppose I will. ~evil grin~)**.**

Anyone who liked Colin in this chapter, I urge you to please read my 'Surprise! You're on Colin's Camera!'. It's quite similar and has a bit of D/G snogging in it. ~grin~ And please please review! Now I'm off to listen to the new Linkin Park CD. ~hops up and down in anticipation~


	9. Aww! Smoochies!

Title: Muggle Music

Author: Tiny Q

E-Mail: one_legged_lesbian_seagull@hotmail.com

A/N: Well, it's here: the last chapter.  Finally eh?  Oh well.  And for all of you who were confused at the last chapter: I made it crazy at the end because I thought there is enough senseless death and destruction going on in the world as it is, and my stories do not need to add to it.  That is why the beginning is all serious and then it hits a point and gets all odd.  That was when the war stared, but this is not the place or the time to discuss it.  So yes, I will stop explaining myself and let you read this last, dull and bitter chapter.

Disclaimer:  Nothing!  I own nothing!

**Muggle**** Music ******

**Chapter 9**

**Aww****!  Smoochies!**

~*~

            It took a total of three days to get the mess from the final singing competition sorted out.  The rubble had to be combed through for there were petrified and stiff bodies of the Death Eaters all over the place.  Who, by the way, were all taken into custody and are pending trials which will send their stinking asses into Azkaban.  Or St. Mungos, which ever suits the individual best.  The Ministry, of course, is set to please.  

            The Hall had received quite a bit of damage, but Mr. McGuggit said the entire fiasco's cost was on him.  He claimed it was the most fun he had had in a long time.  This will not be analyzed further however.  

            Surprisingly there were very few fatalities.  In fact, the only deaths that did happen were to the Little People who fought valiantly to distract the not too bright army.  A small ceremony was held by the twins along with the surviving members of this now tiny clan.  They were later auctioned off by the twins to the highest bidder to compensate losses due to the contest as a whole.

            Yet the idea that no one was killed still baffles many in the Wizarding World.  Some say it was the power of music that saved those poor souls.  Others are currently attempting to commit these people and remove them from society.  Needless to say, this rumor and others that were similar died quickly at the idea of a padded room.

            In the school itself there were also unique happenings.  As soon as the students returned to their Common Rooms they all stopped and stared at the televisions.  It seemed as though the Muggle device was once again calling to them.  And it seemed to almost win.  Almost, until some wise soul screamed: "Let's get it!"  There were revolutionary cheers from all present and all televisions in the school were systematically gang beat.  The televisions would sadly never project charged particles to make pictures ever again.

            The radios had been spared however, so had the CD players.  The professors did not mind this in the slightest, for the students traveled more often with these devices than they ever had with the televisions.  

            All the professors themselves appeared to be perfectly fine after the battle.  All except Professor Flitwick who seemed to have a permanent twitch of the left eye after a run in with a nasty hex that he could not block in time.  No one seems to hold it against him.  In fact, the professors drank to this new twitch at their little party after the Hall was removed from school grounds.  They all got a little too drunk and lost the relative sense of reality as they began to paint portraits of Death Eaters in bunny suits on the Staff Room walls.  But we will forgive them this one slipup of maturity just this once.

~*~

**The Great Hall – January 4th**

            "I would like to make a few announcements," Dumbledore's voice rang across the Great Hall as Harry weakly pushed at his peas.  He wasn't sure why, but he felt exceedingly depressed as of late.  It seemed everyone was with someone except him.  He shook his head mentally.  'It's not like I need anyone,' he thought bitterly, spearing his steak and glaring vehemently down at it.  He glumly looked up at his old mentor.

            "Firstly, I would like to thank all of you for your show of extreme courage and loyalty to this school and it's occupants four days ago."  There was clapping all through the hall.  There was a bit of cheering as well from Hagird who seemed to have gotten at the whiskey a bit early today.  "Without you I think that the results would have differed." 

            More clapping.

            "I would also like to say that classes will be delayed an extra week after this ordeal."  The cheering now was so loud that the Headmaster's last words were drowned out in the din.  He patiently waited until the majority of the students had calmed down.  Harry felt his spirits rise slightly.  'No potions first thing tomorrow,' he thought with a grin.  "So tomorrow you will have no need to get up.  Well not until you want to that is."  The old man grinned, his blue eyes twinkling mischievously.

            The occupants of the hall once again burst out into a large ruckus.  

            "Can you believe this?" Hermione, who was seated across from Harry alongside Ron, said miserably.  "We are going to be so behind when this is all over."

            "Only you, Hermione," Ron said darkly, a grin still pulling at his lips.  "Could turn something so spectacular into something so depressing."

            The bushy haired girl sent her boyfriend a dark look that caused Harry to laugh aloud.  His dark mood seemed to be speeding away.  Perhaps life wasn't as terrible as he had thought.  He still had friends after all.  

            "I think you might find, however," Dumbledore's voice rang once more, causing all in the hall to stop their conversations and turn once more to the head table.  Many had worried looks on their faces.  "My next bit of news of a bit of importance.  Or at least, a few of you will."

            There were confused looks among the students.  Harry looked around as well.  He spotted Professor Snape who looked as pissed as ever, glaring about at the students.  He also saw Professor Booi, who seemed to be seated as far away from the aforementioned professor as she possibly could, begin to smirk slightly as she looked about.  Harry frowned and returned his eyes to the Headmaster.  

            "It regards the results of the contest."  All the confused looks dropped away to be replaced with anticipation and indifference to those who didn't make it.  "Since the last performance had been interrupted and the judges held against their will, by all means the final performances should not even be considered for scale."  

            There was an outcry from select students.  Select students who had performed on this final day of judgment.  The Dream Team was among them.  Harry began to think that perhaps he had jumped to a happy feeling too soon.

            "The professors and I have also decided not to hold another final contest," he continued, ignoring the reaction to his words.  "For it would only be asking for more trouble."  There were more cries of disbelief.

            "So it is for that reason," the Headmaster said seriously, the twinkle leaving his eyes.  "That we have all unanimously agreed that all five groups should receive the same treatment."  There was no outcry to this.  Rather, everyone simply stared in anticipation.  "All five groups will receive the rewards that were promised to the winner, courtesy of the teaching staff and McGuggit restaurants."

            There was a loud cheer across the hall from the twins, Lee Jordan and Tim Jefferson.  The Dream Team soon followed suit, along with the rest of the school.  Harry looked around to see Ginny and Colin hugging as they jumped up and down happily.  Even Malfoy looked a touch more than smug.  He almost seemed happy.  Harry shook his head, convinced that he was seeing things.

            "That is all I have to say," the headmaster said, not even bothering to wait for the students to calm down.  "Enjoy the feast."

            As all of Harry's favorite foods bloomed onto the table, he began to smile.  Perhaps he had been mistaken in thinking that life sucked.  It really didn't.  In fact life was wonderful.

~*~

            After supper, Snape stormed down to his office.  All those insufferably happy children, had they no idea the danger they were laughing at?  Voldemort had been defeated, but by no means was the war over.  He would be back and be even angrier and more ambitious than this time.  It's how he was.

            Inwardly, Snape pitied the Death Eaters who had evacuated with the Dark Lord.  They would be punished, severely, for this humiliation.  Lucius and the others who had been captured had it easy.  The Ministry did not use the Unforgivable Curses as punishment or ways of persuasion.  

            'I wonder how long Lucius will be in there,' he wondered idly, dropping himself into his desk and putting his head in his hands.  He had come down here with the intentions of getting some of his marking done, but now that he was here it was the last thing he wanted to do.  'It will definitely be good for his son,' he thought dryly.  'No more father to direct his path.  Well, for the moment at least.'

            There was a knock at the door and he looked up, mentally swearing at the fact that he didn't close it behind him.    

            "What are you doing here?" he demanded, not bothering to hide the annoyance in his voice.  He hadn't spoken to her since the entire ordeal had ended.  

            "No need to be so cold, Severus," she said softly, walking into the room, her crimson robes swishing on the way in.  She stood before his desk, seeming suddenly awkward.  Snape frowned.  Silence ensued.

            "What do you want Booi?" he asked finally, not thinking he could take the silence any longer.  "I have a lot of work to do."

            "I'm sure you do," she sneered, glaring down at his pile of untouched markings.  "And I'm sure your students will greatly appreciate the failing grade you will so graciously give them.

            He glared up at her.  "My students know that every mark they receive is what they deserve."

            "I'm sure they do," she replied, beginning to analyze her nails.  She still seemed awkward.  They fell back into silence.

            "Um," Booi said after a moment's more silence.  "I just wanted to say," she paused and Snape looked up at her.  She was avoiding his eyes.  'Well that's a first,' he thought darkly.  "To say thank you," she finally managed.

            "For what?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.  

            She let out a short laugh.

            "You're not going to make this easy for me, are you?" she asked, seeming to suppress a grin.

            "I haven't the faintest idea what you are talking about," he replied, looking back down at his work as though he intended on actually working on it.

            "For saving my life," she snapped.  He looked up at her to see her staring angrily down at him.  "For saving my life," she said a bit softer.  "Twice."

            "You saved mine as well," he replied easily, yet it felt odd coming from his lips.  Never had he admit such a thing to anyone, even if they had saved his life.  The name Potter came to mind, but he shunned it like he always did.  "So there is no need to thank me.  We're even."

            "Well I suppose," she said slowly, diverting her eyes to look about his office.  Her hawk-sharp eyes scanned everything, yet there was no disgust in them as there had been in his residence.  Something was wrong.

            "Is there something wrong?" he asked, before he could stop himself.  He didn't really care.  He didn't care about her.  So what if there was something wrong?

            Booi looked at him once more, her blue eyes connecting with his.  She seemed indecisive as to what to say.  After a minute she spoke: "I figure you should be the first to know.  I'm debating stepping down as DADA professor," she said finally.

            Snape rose his eyebrows once more.  

            "That would mean that you get the position," she continued, ignoring his gesture.  "I know you've wanted it for a long time."

            "Why?" he asked her, not looking away.  She looked so torn.

            "Because you're the most qualified," she said as if it was a well known fact.

            "Not that," he frowned.  It had come out harsher than he had intended.  "Why are you leaving?"

            "Because my cover is blown," she said with a frown.  "I won't be any help to this school anymore now that the element of surprise is gone."

            "You're wrong," he said before he could stop himself.  She looked at him with a mixture of shock and curiosity, waiting for him to elaborate.  "Your presence being known is probably better for the school than it being kept a secret.  Voldemort won't attack if he knows you're here.  Too much risk involved for a direct attack, or an indirrect one."

            She stared at him.  "But he won't attack again this year anyway," she said slowly.  "And this will be your chance to prove to Dumbledore that you can handle the position."

            Now it was his turn to stare at her.  "It wouldn't matter," he sneered slightly.  "If I took your place now, the students would not listen to me anyway.  There would be far too much resentment for that, seeing as you have them all wrapped around your pretty little fingers."

            'Did I just call her fingers "pretty"?' he asked himself, resisting the urge to dunk his head in one of Longbottom's potions.

            "Well this is a first," she said after a moment.  "Professor Snape, the almighty Potions Master, admitting he can't handle the students of the school?  I hope this doesn't become a trend Severus, it's not good for your bad guy image."  She smirked down on him suddenly.

            "So I take it you're going to stay then?" he asked, already knowing the answer.  How he did know, he didn't want to analyze.  "Seeing as you're smirking down on me like there is no tomorrow."

            "I guess so," she replied, her smirk broadening.  "Someone's got to keep you company around here."

            "What are you proposing?" Snape asked her, narrowing his eyes at her smirk.  

            "A mutual friendship," she said simply.  "No more bickering in front of the students.  Well unless you deserve it."

            "I think you're the one who will deserve it more than I," he sneered slightly, a smirk of his own forming on his face.  "Seeing as your hair color is blond."

            "Well at least mine's clean," Booi snapped.  They glared at each other for a moment, then she stuck out her hand.  "Friends?"

            "I suppose," he said slowly, shaking her offered hand.  "Then I suppose you won't be wanting this then?" he asked, pulling a small vial from his robes.

            She stared at it for a moment, before seeming to realize what it was.  Her potion.  The one he had misplaced.  She smiled softly.

            "No, I suppose I won't."  

~*~

**The Entrance Hall**

            "So I take it Creevey is your new choice," Ginny heard someone drawl from behind her.  Frowning, she turned around and glared at the blond who was approaching her.

            "And where would you get that idea, Malfoy?" she asked, sounding colder than she had intended.  

            Ever since he had rescued her, it seemed that neither of them knew how to act around each other.  And it seemed that when her hero was in an awkward situation he put up a wall about himself and kept everyone else out.  Including her.  She frowned.

            "What?" he scoffed.  "You mean the way the two of you were hopping about the Great Hall wasn't some odd method of courtship?"

            Ginny stared at him for a moment.  "No," she finally hissed darkly.  "Colin is my friend."  Malfoy did not look amused.  "And he's been going through a really hard time."

            "I don't see how breaking one's camera constitutes a "really bad time"," he sneered, shaking his head slightly.  

            "That camera meant everything to him," she said in a quiet yet slightly dangerous voice, a feeling of protectiveness washing over her.  "But it's not like you would know anything about that sort of thing."

            "Obviously not," Malfoy replied dully.  "But he obviously has more issues than I gave him credit for."

            "Everyone has issues, Malfoy," Ginny sneered.  "You're not Mister Perfect yourself." 

            With that she turned on her heel and headed to her Common Room, the one place he could not follow her.  She didn't know where things had gone so wrong.  One minute they had been holding each other like their lives depended on it, and not that she was complaining about that in the slightest.  But then it seemed the next minute they were back to square one with this huge blaring amount of animosity between them.  

            'You are such a fool, Ginny,' she mentally scolded herself.  'You never should have gotten involved in the first place.  You should have just taken Harry when you had the chance.'  Somehow the mere thought of that particular pairing did not make her feel as splendid as she once would have felt.  In fact, it made her feel as though she was betraying someone she knew deep down she shouldn't.

            "Where are you going?" that same individual's voice cut though her mind as she walked down the hall.

            "Away from you," she said simply, not even bothering to turn around.  "There is only so much dumb blond I can take."

            "Oooh," Malfoy hissed as he came up to walk beside her.  She glared at him.  "That one must have taken you ages to think up."

            "Oh it did," she sneered sarcastically.  "I sat there for hours each night, thinking of the perfect insult.  And then finally, finally, that masterpiece popped into my head."  She rolled her eyes and turned her head to look straight down the hall.

            "Well it shows," the boy beside her said with a shrug.

            Ginny did not respond, she simply continued to walk.  Malfoy kept her pace, not uttering another word instead sticking to the silence that hung over them like a cloud.  And it wasn't simply for a short time either, for Ginny found she was deviating from her original destination.  They simply began to wander the halls, ignoring anyone who looked at them oddly or sent them funny looks.

            "We'll never work out," she said finally, interrupting the silence of about twenty minutes.

            "Excuse me?" Malfoy asked, turning to look at her.  Obviously he was slightly startled by her sudden ability to speak.  Or perhaps it had been the words she had spoken.  

            "We would never work out," she repeated, turning her head as well toward him, coming to a stop.  "You and I.  We would never work."

            "Why?" he asked simply.  They had stopped in an abandoned, well lit hall courtesy of ceiling high windows.  Shadows cast across them, accenting Malfoy's seemingly permanently spiky hair.

            "We're too different," she continued, looking away.  She wasn't quite sure why she was saying what she was saying, but for some reason the words just had to be said.  She'd be damned if she knew.  Yet a part of her felt like she should argue against the points, regardless of how true they felt.  "We're from two different ends of the spectrum.  You will always have your father and his money.  And I will always have mine and our lack of wealth."

            He remained silent and she found herself continuing.  "We would always argue," she said softly, finding the strength in her voice was leaving her.  "I mean, we argue all the time as it is, and we aren't even around each other that often."  She glanced at him; he was simply staring at her with an expressionless face.  Her voice faltered as she wondered what must be going through his mind.  

            "And your father would probably kill me," she finally concluded weakly after opening and closing her mouth a few times.  She knew it was a pathetic thing to say.  A very selfish thing to say as well.  When she had been younger, she had always imagine that love would be held back by no boundaries, boundaries that included death.  And now here she was several years later, refusing a guy because she was scared of his father.  And it wasn't like she was really all that scared he would kill her.  He had tried once and failed.  Well, it really hadn't been by his hand exactly, but he had pushed the snowball off the top of the very high and steep mountain.

            Malfoy blinked.  

            "You can't honestly think he would do anything to you," he said softly.  There was no expression in his voice and Ginny felt suddenly afraid that he would be mad.  'Why did I say that?' she thought sullenly.  'You are such a fool.'  "Ok, he might," he admitted, a small grin pulling at his lips when Ginny let out a small gasp.  "But the man is in Azkaban.  For life."

            "He is?" she asked with surprise.  

            The boy nodded.  "My mother sent me a letter today," he said, emotion still absent from his voice.  "I'm not quite sure if it makes me happy or not though," he continued, seemingly as an afterthought.  To Ginny it seemed he was saying it more to himself than to her.  "My mother's not too sure herself."  He paused.  "This way I suppose he can't send me any more of those stupid letters."  He suddenly turned his head up and grinned at her.  Ginny looked at him daftly.

            "You do know what his means, don't you Weasley?" he asked her, the grin still on his face.  His voice sounded more alive all of a sudden.  She stared at him patiently.  "This means I don't have to worry about him looking over my shoulder all the time.  I don't have to worry about him criticizing my actions.  I'm free."

            "What about your mother?" she asked, not quite sure his life was suddenly as wonderful as he thought it would be.  He was still a Malfoy.  His father's absence only meant that he would be expected to take his father's place.  

            He seemed to pause.  "She's nothing like my father," he concluded, the grin slipping slightly.  "Probably a token wife," he added.  Ginny felt a flare of anger at the boy's father but kept it to herself.  "But she's not as dumb as she makes herself out to be.  She'll take over the estate.  Probably more efficiently than father ever had."  Ginny continued to stare at him.  "And she just wants me to be happy."

            Ginny raised her eyebrow at this.  "And your father didn't?"  She already knew the answer to that one.  

            "No," he said curtly.  "No, he just wanted me to be presentable.  The perfect heir I suppose.  But fuck him and all his off kilter expectations.  As long as he doesn't get broken out or anything stupid like that, we'll be just fine."

            His words sounded so odd coming from his lips, Ginny suddenly realized.  They were totally against his nature.  Or at least the nature he presented himself to have.  It was almost as if the absence of his father was brining it all out.  

            It was then that Ginny realized that Malfoy would be going through a few changes in his life in the next little while.  Big changes.  Hopefully for the better.  She realized that he would probably never become one of Harry's friends, or ever be all chummy with her brother.  And she also realized that he would always be arrogant and spoiled.  But perhaps he would be more easy going.  Less evil, perhaps not angel quality, but no longer a little Death Eater in training.  There was no reason for him to act as one any longer.  Unless something went wrong.  She hopped to Merlin that nothing would _ever_ go wrong.  Malfoy needed a decent chance to discover himself without his father breathing down his neck.

            "So what does all this mean?" she managed finally, pushing her thoughts from her mind, or at least far enough away that she could speak properly.  

            He stared at her for a moment, seeming to be debating something in his head.  "I know I've been an ass lately."  She frowned slightly.  "Ok, a major ass."  She smiled slightly at that.  "But these past few weeks have been, different."  He paused for a moment and Ginny waited patiently, well as patiently as a Weasley is capable of waiting.  "I've felt things that I never even thought I was capable of feeling.  I always thought that if I ever did feel them, they would be tainted beyond recognition, which is sort of stupid since I have never felt them in the first place to know whether or not they are-"

            "Malfoy," Ginny said sharply, her Weasley patience obviously up.  She knew rambling when she heard it.  She did it often enough herself.  "What are you getting at."

            He stared at her and grinned once more.  "You know, when I thought you were dead, I wanted nothing more than for you to be alive, and it startled me.  And when you spoke I felt as though my entire world was perfect simply because of your words.  And when you danced with me, all I wanted to do was keep dancing, and to never let go of you.  Even when you were out there, walking with Potter, I wanted nothing more than to be there in his place at your side."  His grin spread a bit more.  "I didn't realize it at the time of course," he added.  "I probably would have done something rash if that was the case.  But I realize it now."

            Ginny stood there, feeling all motion leave her body.  She was no sure that it was not the Malfoy she loved to hate speaking to her.  She was positive she as dreaming.  Silently she dug her finger nails into her palm.  No, the pain told her she was awake.  That this was real.  The blond before her was the real Draco Malfoy.

            "And I've realized now," he continued, his grin turning into a small smile.  "That I know what it would take to make me genuinely happy, just as my mother has always urged me to find."  Ginny could not believe what she was hearing.  "You make me happy, Weasley."

            Ginny felt faint.  Did a Malfoy just tell her that she made him happy?  Was happy even a word in a Malfoy's vocabulary.  Apparently, but still.  Even when she had been finding herself being associated with the boy, she never imagined that she would mean that much to him.  He was cold hearted and beautiful, but obviously she had assessed him wrong.

            "You do?" she croaked, her throat suddenly tightening on her.  "I-" she stopped.  "No one's ever said that to me before," she admitted quietly, tears coming to her eyes.  She silently swore at herself for seeming even weaker than before.  

            She glanced up at him.  "You make me happy too," she finally got out, not even realizing she was saying it.  She never even thought it was possible, but come to think of it, he did.  In his twisted, Malfoyish sort of way, he did.  

            "I thought you wanted me to live a lonely life?" he asked suddenly.  She thought about it, until she remembered that she had.  She let out a small laugh.

            "A girl can change her mind," she said as offhandedly as she could.  "Besides, if you piss me off, things can get _very lonely."  She grinned at him slightly.  _

            He let out a short laugh of his own.  "There is more to you than meets the eyes, Weasley." He drawled and he pulled her into his arms.

            She buried her face into him, inhaling his scent.  It was better than she remembered it, and she felt as though she could stand there all day, just absorbing how he was, how he felt.  She clung to him smiling into him, her tears leaving her eyes.  

            They stood like that for a while, before Ginny pulled her face away from him and looked up into his face.  "It's not going to be easy you know," she said, her voice sounding a touch rough.  

            He smirked slightly.  "Are you saying I'm hard to be around, Weasley?" he drawled.

            "Oh no," she sneered back slightly.  "Where would you _ever get such a preposterous idea."_

            "Well it's not like you're a cakewalk yourself," he replied, sneering slightly more than she had.  "Always whining and complaining.  Never happy with anything.  Insanely jealous of my entire life.  I think it will be harder to live with you than it will be for you to live with me."

            "Oh bull shit," she hissed back, narrowing her eyes.  "You're the one who's jealous.  Always insulting what you truly admire deep down.  Bitter to the core and you have this odd tendency to try and spread it around."  She paused, pretending to think, staring into his chest.  "Like paint I suppose.  You spread it around like paint."

            "Weasley," he said firmly.  She looked up at him.  "Shut up."  

            With that his lips met hers.

~*~

            And so the residents of Hogwarts and all their associates lived happily ever after.  Ok, maybe they didn't.  Voldemort and his minions still persisted on trying to kill Harry, Dumbledore or who ever else tickled their fancy, not to mention try to take over Hogwarts and the rest of the Magical world.  But it's not like a little snake-man could keep spirits down.  Generally life was good...

            The Dream Team still found mysteries to solve in simple, everyday occurrences that made their lives seemed full filled.  Yet people began to think them rather daft for doing so.  Ron and Hermione continued to date, becoming well known across the school for the fabulous rows and supposedly "steamy" make-ups.  

            Sirius and Remus continued to live their bachelor's lives, hanging about and causing problems for Wormtail and his companions.  And don't kid yourself; they enjoy this far more than they probably should.  And of course they paid frequent visits to the Dream Team and included them in the fun.

            On the other hand, Snape continued to be as bitter and caustic as ever, even despite his new found friend.  Not that we can expect anything different from our favorite Potions Master, he has far too many issues.  But then, that's an entirely different story.  Then there was Booi who was bitter in her own way, yet always tried to make the greasy haired man lighten up a bit.  She even once managed to get him to wash his hair.  Even I'm still confused on that one...

            Then there's Neville, Colin and Dennis who have decided to start a band once they leave Hogwarts.  All they need is a lead singer.  They put an add in the Daily Prophet, but have yet to get a response from anyone with out a pop-singer's voice.  Oh.  And Colin was able to purchase a new camera with his share of the prize money.  It soon came to be known as his "precious, even more precious than my first precious."  People are really starting to think the boy is nutters, but that as well, is a completely different story.

            The twins and co seemed to have taken the whole singing competition to heart.  It seemed to the other residents of the school that the four of them had taken it upon themselves to periodically break out into song.  They claimed it was to lighten the mood, but people were beginning to suspect that they all just liked the sound of their own voices.

            And then there is Ginny and Draco.  The only reason you people all read this story in the first place.  Who really cares about everyone else? Right?  You all just want the action.  Well I will have you know that for the rest of the year, the two of them could be found in broom closets, corners of the library, random hallways, abandoned classrooms, and just about anywhere else really, snogging each other's brains out.  Really.  The population of the school found it odd at first, but after a while just gave up thinking about it and ignored the relatively odd pair.

            So as you can see, life was good for all.  Well maybe not for Oliver Wood, now that I think about it.  After his little show of guitar playing ability, the population of his fan girls tripled.  The poor guy can't go anywhere without this odd cult of followers going after him.  But this as well, is another story for another time.

The End.

~*~

A/N: Hurray!  It's over!  It's finally over!  As you can probably tell, I wasn't very happy with this story any more.  It just was, well, sucky.  It was really an attempt to have a lot of characters and keep it funny so I probably should not have put it under D/G but oh well.  But seriously now, just because a story is D/G doesn't mean that there has to be "action" in it.  People are not constantly having wild and hot make-out sessions driven by an excessive amount of hormones.  Life just isn't like that, no matter what media is trying to tell you otherwise.  But if you do want some actual D/G stories of mine please read either:

            'The Truth About Trees' which is slowly getting to the actual relationship.

            'We All Fall Down' which is a bit more mature than what I usually write and their relationship will be reflected in this.

            Or, 'Never Been Kissed: A Ghost's Tale'.  This is my new pet project that will only be about the two of them.  And Ginny's a ghost.

            So yes, before I continue babbling incoherently let me make a few thank yous to people:  A big thank you to all my friends who allowed me to bounce ideas off of them.  Several times.  Until they were lying on the ground, bleeding and suffering from concussions.  Just kidding.  But seriously now, thanks guys!  Also, thanks to everyone who read and reviewed this story!  Especially those of you who reviewed more than once.  You know who you are.  I will even thank those of you who read it and did not review.  ~Narrows eyes at Fleur~  Just jokes.  Now I think that was all I wanted to say so I'll just get on to thank the people who reviewed last time...

Many thanks to:  **me(Well, perhaps, but that would make him evil. I didn't want to have to get into that)****, tulzdavampslayer, Lallie(Sliding precious soap?? Uh, ok... ~backs away~ JK)**, Crayzie4Silver, oliverwoodsgirl**(Mwa. Twas my master plan. But yes, the Wood part wasn't that great, but it was there just for you)**, Sinnai, Chimerical(**"interesting" eh? Well I hope that is a good thing. But evil Death Eater pop? Isn't that going a touch too far?!)**, VirtualFaerie**(I suppose I will forgive you seeing as I have yet to get the chance to review your new chapters and fics. Aren't there like 4 of them now? ~shakes head~ I'm so behind on the times)**, Rivenloe**(LP rules! But then, so does Gollum...)**, Muffy**(Then my plan worked, it was supposed to be annoying ~grin~)**, blancheflor**(Could you believe the snow?? Bah. Good thing it's gone. Oh and the LRT is fun. ~grin~)**, SK(**Odd eh? Well it's a good thing its "ok" then)**, jess(**People actually care about the seagulls?? ~sniff~)**, Megami No Ushi**(Ok, that is really freaky. Really! And it's so odd! Gin thinks so too and says "hi". But yes, odd odd. ~looks about paranoid~ I give too much information. People can track me down!  Ahh!  Anyhoo, I think if the real Booi found out I would be missing a few fingers... And please don't drown!)**, Madame Moony(**I just realized you wanted me to e-mail you. Sorry about that)**, Sayo**(I had to too, but I thought that the video was cool, or at least I remember thinking it was cool. Haven't seen it in like 4 years...)**, Dannie7(**Don't worry! He's just fine!)** and jlo's-lil-baby. ****

Thanks again everyone!

Love,

Tiny Q


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